Raw milk kefir has been part of my life for exactly a year now. I've kept a constant supply going and always find a way to use it. Occasionally I'll drink a glass plain, but other than that, it's made into smoothies, cheese, dressings, baked goods, ect. There is about a quart brewing all the time. I strive to have no more than a half gallon on hand at a time. If it gets to be more than that, then that means we are not consuming enough.
I found myself with some extra kefir so I decided to soak some whole wheat flour and oats in it for some type of baked good. You'll lose some of the probiotic benefits by baking with the kefir, but it is still highly nutritious. What resulted was a delicious, lightly sweet, moist cake. I almost want to call it a 'coffee cake'. It would make a nice brunch addition or to bring to a gathering.
The night before you want to bake the cake mix together the flour, oats, and kefir. Stir well to make sure all the oats and flour are wet. Cover and leave in a warm spot in your kitchen. The soaking process will reduce the phytic acid and make the nutrients more available.
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups oats
2 cups kefir
The next day preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 baking dish with butter or coconut oil. In a big bowl mash a ripe banana and mix in the eggs, molasses, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. Mix with a whisk until all ingredients are fully incorporated. Then add the soaked flour mixture all at once. Mix with a wooden spoon until all you can see are lumps of dough. At this point it's better to put down the spoon and use a clean hand to squish all the dough pieces. You want to make sure no lumps from the soaking dough are left. Once it's well mixed pour it into the baking dish.
1 ripe mashed banana
2 large pastured eggs
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
This topping makes the cake! Mix all the ingredients together and spread evenly over the unbaked cake.
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup organic raisins
1/4 cup melted butter
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. It smells amazing baking in the oven! ;)
** I thought this delightful cake was wonderful and had just the right amount of sweetness. My husband on the other hand felt it wasn't sweet enough. If you would like a sweeter cake feel free to add a cup of any natural sweetener you choose to the mix.**
I would love to hear from any of you who might try this recipe! Let me know how it turns out for you.
This post is part of 'Fight Back Friday' at Food Renegade and Monday Mania at The Healthy Home Economist.