All Cakes Considered - Melissa Gray [43]
While All Breads Considered might very well be in my future, I opted to re-cake, adding two ingredients that I knew would lead to a moist cake: brown sugar and butter. The re-cake was a big hit.
The lesson here: never give up, never surrender. Especially when spice and vice and a holiday are involved.
This is a cake that needs to “mature” before serving. So make it a day ahead.
This cake has a delicate crumb, so expect to serve between 16 and 24 when you make it.
Araby Spice Cake
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YOU’ll NEED
A 10-inch tube pan
FOR THE CAKE
1½ sticks (¾ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups sugar
3 large eggs
2 cups cake flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾teaspoon salt
¾teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
¾ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
FOR THE FROSTING
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large egg yolk
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1½ teaspoons unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1½ teaspoons hot coffee (see Tip)
Tip: Remember what I said back in Coffee Spice Cake (page 98) about how older recipes are more apt to include coffee? And how my local Starbucks is next door to a nail salon? Well, this is our chance for a pedicure OR a grande mocha! Be wild. Go for Scarlett Red AND a grande mocha Frappuccino!
TO MAKE THE CAKE
1. Center a rack and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare the cake pan.
2. Cream the butter at medium speed, then gradually add the sugar, mixing until smooth.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. In a separate bowl, dry whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices, and cocoa together. Set aside.
5. In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk, vanilla extract, and lemon juice.
6. Add ½ cup of the flour mixture, beat, then add ¼ cup of the buttermilk mixture and beat again. Repeat until all of the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture are blended in. Beat on high speed for 1 additional minute.
7. Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake for about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven when the cake tests done.
8. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then unmold onto a cake rack and cool completely.
TO MAKE THE FROSTING
9. With the mixer at medium speed, cream together the butter, egg yolk, confectioners’ sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, and hot coffee. Blend until smooth.
10. Drizzle or spread the frosting on top of the cake.
I don’t know WHY it’s called “Araby” Spice Cake. I don’t really know if “Araby” is a derogatory word in these times. I do know that back during the first few decades of the last century, Americans were FASCINATED by anything from the Middle East. Silent movies from the time featured Rudolph Valentino as The Sheik and Theda Bara, her eyes heavily kohled like those of an Egyptian queen. And speaking of Egyptian royalty, the news was full of stories about the discovery of King Tut’s tomb. Everything “Arab” was hot, and “Araby” was the adjective of the day.
This is a recipe from Jane Marshall’s home economics-teacher mother, Shirley Moser Marshall. Jane says they grew up on this cake, and that her mom probably got the recipe by way of Betty Crocker. It is tasty, especially to members of the Spice-and-Vice Alliance who crave chocolate every once in a while. So, call it what you like; hell, call it what it’s really called and then call in the PC police while you’re at it and when they arrive, shut them up with a slice of cake. We can be very PC at NPR, but if anyone was offended by this cake, I didn’t hear about it.
You can expect to serve 16 to 24 uncomplaining people with this recipe.
Black Walnut Cake
Smells Like A Pancake, But Tastes Like A Cake!
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YOU’ll NEED
A 12-cup Bundt pan or 10-inch tube pan
A food processor, OR nut chopper, OR meat mallet
FOR THE CAKE
1 cup black walnuts
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room