Wholegrain Vanilla Cake (Eggless) With Wild Berry Compote

 Vanilla Wholegrain Cake has a tender and moist crumb. The berry compote made with the wild berries collected from the forest compliments the cake.

It was a foggy morning this Saturday. As the day progressed, it was calm and overcast. 

Last year around mid-June, we had spotted some berries growing wild in the forest. We discovered the berries to be black raspberries. 

Hoping to find the berries again, we went to the adjoining forest. Forest trail was serene and cushioned heavily with leaves and petals.  The dancing treetops and the rustling of the leaves felt like a gentle whisper. Such surroundings quieten the mind and your soul feels at rest.

Forests in the hills are treasures of edible wild berries and fruits. Cold weather and almost negligible human intervention favours the exuberance of wild growth. We reached the same site and discovered fruit-laden branches. Some were eaten right from the plants and some collected.

We got home some cuttings from the older plants and planted in our garden. Nature is amazing and kind and there is something magical about the salubrious Himalayan clime. All the cuttings survived.

Black raspberry is almost like the red raspberry. Red raspberry is very common while black raspberries are a unique type and only grows in certain locations. The ripe fruits are sweet and juicy and full of tiny crunchy seeds. The berries are rich in vitamins and antioxidants.

A wholegrain cake was baked this weekend. We made compote with the black raspberries, Golden Himalayan Raspberries( Hisalu) and homegrown strawberries

Sustainable baking is all about sourcing all the ingredients locally and from around. Most of the ingredients that went into the cake are sourced locally.

The cake turned out moist and soft. The compote complimented the vanilla cake.

You may use any local fruit or berries to make the compote. It adds so much zing to the cake and is a pleasant change from the regular ganache frosting.

Wholegrain Vanilla Cake (Eggless) With Wild Berry Compote

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• ¼ cup melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar/apple cider vinegar

Wild Berry Compote

• 1 cup mixed berries
• 1/4 cup water or orange juice
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 2-3 tablespoons sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
2. Grease and line one 8 inch round cake pan.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together first four dry ingredients.
4. In another deep bowl, take the milk and heat it until warm. Add Butter.
5. Add vanilla extract.
6. Add dry ingredients and mix until well incorporated.
7. Add vinegar and mix well. The batter will begin to bubble and feel light.
8. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top turns golden and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
9. Remove from the oven after 5 minutes. Remove from the pan after 5-6 minutes.
10. Cool in the rack.

Wild Berry Compote

Mash the wild berries with a fork. Transfer the mashed berries to a steel wok. Add water or juice and lemon juice and sugar. Cook on medium heat till the mixture bubbles and attains a thick sauce-like consistency.

Cool. Pour on the cooled cake.