These little cakes are good! They are sweet, tart, and have the unusual taste of mace. I don't frost the cakes and generally have them at breakfast time. The cakes are great with tea or coffee. Although the cakes are sweet, they are not in the "cupcake" category and are little more like muffins with a cake attitude. I like to use mace in the cakes, but, if you can't find it, substitute nutmeg. I also like to use raw sugar (turbinado) on top of the cakes, but brown or white sugar will do if that's what you have. Although the recipe calls for golden raisins--which I think combine especially well with the lemon and mace--you can substitute regular raisins or even dried currents. The little cakes really are a great--and easy--way to use up that discard in a way that's different from the usual pancakes or crackers. Enjoy!
Sourdough Lemon-Mace-Raisin Cakes -- Makes 12
1 cup of starter/discard
1 large egg
1/2 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of grated lemon zest
1 cup of flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of mace or nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of butter
1/2 cup of golden raisins
1/4 cup of raw/turbinado sugar
In a large bowl mix together well the discard/starter, egg, sugar, and lemon zest. In another bowl combine the flour, baking powder, mace, and salt. Cut in the butter and mix it in until crumbs form. Add the liquid ingredients to the flour mixture and stir until everything is combined. Fold in the raisins. Spritz a 12-cup muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray and divide the batter among the muffin wells. Sprinkle a little of the raw sugar on top the batter in each well. Let the batter sit for an hour or two (it will rise a little but not much). Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the little cakes for 18-24 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Let the cakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes or so before removing them to cool completely.
