Friday, November 20, 2009

Burnt Sugar Cake



This months "Cake Slice Bakers" selected the Burnt Sugar Cake from the book "Southern Cakes". This cake truly was different from any other cake I have made. I loved the flavor of the batter, I licked the bowl clean! I like the way the cake color turned out. My husband and the girls at the daycare gave me a thumbs up on the cake! I was coming down with a cold and I didn't really get to enjoy it. The only little problem was the icing coming out too thin. I plan making this cake again with a couple of changes to the frosting. Over all the cake was good and had a great homeade taste to it.



Burnt Sugar Cake


Burnt Sugar Syrup:
1 cup sugar
1 cup boiling water

Burnt Sugar Cake:
3 cups flour
1 tblsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup milk
1 cup butter ( 2 sticks), softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 eggs

Burnt sugar frosting:
3 3/4 cups powder sugar
1/2 cup Burnt Sugar Syrup
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 to 3 tblsp. evaporated milk or milk

TO MAKE THE SYRUP, heat the sugar in cast-iron skillet, or in another heavy pan with a broad bottom and high sides, over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar melts into a clear, brown caramel syrup, about the color of tea. Carefully add the boiling water, pouring it down the side of the pan so that if the syrup foams and bubbles up, you'll be protected. Continue cooking, stirring often, until the water joins the caramel in a handsome brown syrup. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Store the cooled syrup in a sealed jar until needed.

TO MAKE THE CAKE, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and stir with fork to mix well. Stir the vanilla into the milk.

IN A LARGE BOWL, beat the butter and sugar with a mixer at high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until they are very well combined, stopping now and then to scrape down the bowl. Add the eggs, one by one , beating well each time. Pour in 1/2 cup of the burnt sugar syrup, and beat well. Add about a third of the flour mixture, and then about half of the milk, beating at low speed just long enough, after each addition, to make the flour or the milk disappear into the batter. Mix in another third of the flour, the rest of the milk, and then the last of the flour in the same way.

DIVIDE THE BATTER between the cake pans and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cakes are golden brown, spring back when touched gently in the center, and begin to pull away from the sides of the pans. Let the cakes cool in the pans on the wire racks or folded kitchen towels for 15 minutes. Then turn out the cakes onto wire racks or plates to cool completely, top side up.

TO MAKE THE FROSTING, in a large bowl, combine the powder sugar, the remaining half cup of the burnt sugar syrup, the butter, and the vanilla. Beat with a mixer at medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl now and then to bring the ingredients together. Add 2 tblsp. of evaporated milk and continue beating until the frosting is thick, soft, smooth, and easy to spread. Add a little more sugar if it is thin, and a little more evaporated milk if it seems to thick.

TO COMPLETE THE CAKE, place one layer, top side down, on a cake stand or serving plate, and scoop about 3/4 cup of the frosting onto the cake. Spread to the edges and place the second layer over it, top side up. Frost the sides of the cake , and then the top, covering it evenly.


6 comments:

rachel said...

hope your cold's better and you are right about it being yummy!

Kim said...

Very pretty cake! Hope you get to feeling better.

Monica H said...

Great job on your cake! I thought the frosting need a bit of help though- it was too sweet for my taste. But the cake was awesome!

As far as your pumpkin is concerned... I have no idea why it didn't get soft. Perhaps it was the variety of pumpkin??? I really don't know, but I am sorry it didn't work out for you :-(

Katie said...

I agree the cake batter was divine. I think your cake looks great but I found the frosting far too sweet

Jo said...

Great job on your cake and I agree that the batter is great. Not too keen on the frosting though.

Mimí said...

very nice cake, thanks for your comment in my blog!! :D