Blueberry Swirl Makgeolli Cake

This moist cake has a nutty aroma, a hint of delicate sweet rice wine for flavoring and fruity blueberry jam swirled throughout.

Blueberry Swirl Makgeolli Cake

Makes 1 - 20cm (8 in) cake

Makgeolli is a Korean rice wine with a slight viscosity from the rice sediment that is shaken through before serving. As the main flavoring in this cake it lends a delicate sweet rice flavor. The slight booziness is complimented by nutty almonds and fruity blueberry. Using traditional creaming and the oft overlooked, old fashioned dry-wet-dry method to add the dry and liquid ingredients results in a tender, moist cake with a nutty aroma and texture without being too sweet.

“Recipe Tips:

1. You can’t really substitute the makgeolli as it is the main flavor agent with its sweet rice flavor.

*2. You can use an equal amount of almond meal instead of grinding the almonds yourself.”

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

163g (1.25 c) all purpose flour

*50g (4 T) whole roasted almonds, ground

4g (1 t) baking powder

4g (1 t) kosher salt

0.25 t ground cardamom

Wet Ingredients

112g (0.50 c) butter, softened

105g (7 T) granulated sugar

45g (3 T) dark brown sugar

20ml (4 t) vegetable oil

2 large eggs, room temperature

6g (1.5 t) vanilla extract

83ml (5.5 T) makgeolli

Swirl

125g (5 T) wild blueberry jam

Glaze

33g (0.25 c) powdered sugar, sifted

1/8 t ground cinnamon

1/8 t vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

1 – 2 t milk

Method

1.      Preheat oven to 180 C / 350 F.

• Butter a 20cm (8 in) round cake pan and line with parchment paper. Set aside.

2.      In a medium mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients mixing well. Set aside.

3.      In another medium mixing bowl, using a whisk beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy 5 – 7 minutes, scraping down the bowl as necessary.

The mixture is ready when it looks as if the volume has increased. When some of the mixture is rubbed between your fingers, you should no longer feel individual grains of sugar.

A stand mixer can be used to mix the batter.

• Beat in the oil.

If mixing by hand, the mixture begins to split, at 1 T of the flour mixture to bring it back together.

Alternately, instead of adding flour, you can continue to beat the mixture for 2 – 3 minutes longer to bring the emulsion back together.

Splitting happens when an adequate amount of air has not been incorporated into the creamed butter and sugar but the addition of flour helps to stabilize the emulsion if needed.

• One at a time beat in the eggs until well combined, at least 30 seconds.

Add 1 T of flour mixture to maintain the emulsion if necessary.

• Beat in the vanilla.

• Alternating dry and wet add 1/3 of the flour and fold in with a rubber spatula.

• Add 1/2 of the makgeolli and stir in followed by 1/2 of the remaining flour. Mix then add remaining makgeolli and flour mixing well after each addition.

• Pour the batter into the cake pan and tap to remove large air bubbles.

• Dollop the jam across the surface of the cake and swirl in with a butter knife or chopstick.

• Bake 30 – 40 minutes.

A finished cake should spring back when pressed and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center should come out clean.

• Cool in the pan 10 minutes before depanning and cooling completely on a wire rack.

4.      In a small bowl, combine the glaze ingredients mixing well.

• Start with the lesser amount of milk and add 0.25 t more as necessary to make a flowing glaze.

• Drizzle over the cake and allow to dry for 5 minutes.

5.      Serve.