White Wine Cake

"Prepare ye the way of the Lord. We all need help to feel fine, Let's have some wine! "  Godspell. 

  

Sometimes a baking project results from a "leftover". Such is the case with my 1/2 bottle of  white wine. It sat in my butler's pantry for weeks. I have seen many recipes using wine to poach fruit, crackers, zabaglione, sabayone, and red wine in chocolate cakes. Of course wine is used in all kinds of  "savory" cooking but I wanted  a cake. I did what every baker does, "Googled." 

Lately, I have been having some trouble with internet recipes. Some fail..miserably. Which was the case with the one I found as inspiration. I made it twice and both times it collapsed horribly. I decided that it had too much levening in the recipe. ( But of course this was a guess) , or I over beat it, or too much liquid.  ( however, I have never baked with wine..so I had no idea what it would do to a recipe..I just assumed liquid, and acid.  After my second attempt, re worked the whole recipe.

 

 That being said,  I have to be the biggest dummy in Georgia. I had no idea Georgia had wine vineyards. Yonah Mountain recently one a Grand Challenge against some California wines. Yonah Mountain Vineyards.  Sounds like a nice weekend trip....Something I must investigate more.

2454-B Highway 17

Sautee-Nacoochee, GA 30571

Website: 

http://www.yonahmountainvineyards.com

Email: 

Email contact form

Phone and fax numbers: 

706/878-5522

  
White Wine Cake 


CAKE
Ingredients

2 large eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups flavorless oil ( I used Safflower)
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon nutmeg ( freshly ground)
1 cup sweet white wine ( I used a french Muscadet)

 Procedure:

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees F 
Grease and flour/or sugar a loaf pan. Parchment paper the bottom. My pan was 11 by 4 1/2 by 2 ( unusual , I know), or use a muffin tin.

In a mixing bowl with mixer paddle attachment- mix eggs, sugar , wine, vanilla, and oil.  Blend until
smooth.
In a separate bowl-sift flour, nutmeg, baking soda, salt .
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients., mix until smooth.
Pour into prepared pan(s) and bake for @ 30-40 minutes, until tester comes out clean .
Cool in pan, then complete cooling on wire rack. 

GLAZE:
powdered sugar, water, vanilla, corn syrup

I like a very thin glaze, so I have no recipe for this. Basically I mix all together for my taste and consistency. There are many recipes on the internet or choose your own, and the thickness you like. It gives the cake a nice added sweetness and an extra crunch .

I must admit, this is a strange cake. I have no idea how to describe the flavor.   I really love the texture of the crumb, Not too sweet, but nice and light. The flavor is unusual with the wine mixed with nutmeg. I would eat it for breakfast. Petite tea cakes would be nice.

If you look at my picture below, you can still see where a small portion of it collapsed. Where the glaze is pooling. I can deal with this tiny imperfection.

 

"What contemptible scoundrel stole the cork from my lunch? "

~ W. C. Fields

If anyone has any opinion as to why??  Please post a comment. :)