Nuts About Cake - Newnan Times-Herald

By Gail McGlothin

All special occasions call for cake. Christmas falls right in line for at least one cake on every dessert table. However, all my close relatives have their favorite recipe, so rarely is there just one.

My mother loved coconut cake for Christmas. As far as I can remember, we always had one during the holidays. My dad would buy a coconut, crack it, and then peel and grate the coconut meat for her. The kids got a sip of the milk from the coconut. White cake was spread with a boiled vanilla frosting with shredded coconut generously piled between the layers, patted on the sides and sprinkled on top. Mama then placed a ring of silver dragées (little tiny silver balls) around the edge, sometimes adding holly leaves and berries for a dramatic look. We knew we could not eat the holly but did eat the silver dragées — now a no-no.

A little research and I learned that chocolate cake is America’s favorite cake and is the favorite worldwide. No surprise, and I am not about to start counting the number of chocolate cake recipes in my box. I also learned “cake” originated in Scandinavia too long ago to count. The Christian Bible has many references to cake. I always want to try a honey cake or fig cake, but barley cakes never called to me. The Great British Bake-Off, Downton Abbey and any number of British TV shows feature a “sponge,” which is a one-layer vanilla cake. Split it horizontally, fill it with a vanilla cream (pudding) and neatly place fresh strawberries or raspberries on top of the cream. Top with the top half and sift with confectioner’s sugar. Quick, easy and pretty for smaller families or as a part of a dessert table.

Pecans were big in our house. Growing up, we had a pecan tree in the front yard. Daddy cracked them and, for pecan season, no one ever sat without a bowl of cracked pecans in their lap to shell. Fresh pecans hold a high place in our house. Luckily, my friend Joan Exner is in the Kiwanis Club. I bought two bags last year and three this year. The chopped pecans are perfect for the Toasted Pecan Cake. Walnuts had to come from the grocery store for us. The walnut raspberry cake looks and tastes like a show stopper.

Both cakes can hold their own as a single dessert or part of a tableful. Nuts add a little more sturdiness to the cakes, so they carry well. Both have lots of flavor, and you will be asked for the recipe.

Browned Butter Pecan Cake

Cake

2 cups chopped pecans

1 ¼ cups butter

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup sugar

½ cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

Frosting

5 cups powdered sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

Remaining butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ cup milk (about)

Remaining pecans

Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease and flour 2 8- or 9-inch round pans.

In a saucepan over low heat, brown pecans and butter until light brown, stirring constantly.

Drain pecans in a fine sieve over a measuring cup. Reserve butter.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugars, baking powder, salt, milk, vanilla and eggs, with ½ cup reserved butter.

Beat 2 minutes at medium speed. Stir in ¾ cup pecans.

Pour into pans, bake 25-30 minutes until done.

Cool in pans 5 minutes; invert onto racks to finish cooling.

Frosting

In a medium bowl, blend powdered sugar, salt, remaining butter and enough milk to make frosting spreading consistency. Stir in remaining pecans.

Place one layer on a cake plate. Spread with ½-¾ cup frosting, as desired.

Top with the second layer. Frost with remaining frosting.

You can decorate with pecan halves if desired, but it looks yummy as is.

Note: Toast pecans slowly over low heat, stirring constantly and watching non-stop. Pecans go from nicely toasted to charcoal chips in a split second. I know from experience!

Walnut Cake with Raspberries

5 large eggs, separated

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups sugar, divided

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup butter

2 cups flour

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 ½ cups finely chopped walnuts, divided

Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting

½ cup butter, softened

8 ounces cream cheese softened

¼ cup seedless raspberry preserves

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

1 ½ pounds powdered sugar

2 ¼ cups seedless raspberry preserves

Cake

Beat egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.

Gradually add ½ cup sugar and beat to the consistency of meringue. Set aside.

Cream butter, remaining 1 ½ cups sugar, salt and vanilla, adding egg yolks one at a time. Stir baking soda into buttermilk.

Add this mixture alternately with flour to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour.

Fold in egg white mixture; then 1 cup walnuts.

Pour into three greased and floured 9-inch cake pans.

Bake in preheated 325 oven for about 30-40 minutes or until done.

Remove from oven and cool in pan for a few minutes. Cool completely on wire racks.

Frosting

Cream together butter and cream cheese until fluffy.

Beat in preserves and vanilla.

Gradually add powdered sugar until spreading consistency.

To assemble the cake, cover 2 layers with about ½ cup frosting.

Spread about ½ cup preserves on the top of each layer, over the icing, leaving a half inch around the edge without preserves.

Sprinkle with ½ cup chopped walnuts on top of the preserves.

Place the first frosted layer on a cake plate and top with the second frosted layer.

Settle the third layer on top of the second layer.

Frost cake top and sides with remaining frosting.

Spread ½ cup preserves on top.

Sprinkle remaining chopped walnuts on top.

Note: I usually melt the preserves that will be spread on the cake layers and spread them on at room temperature.

Gail McGlothin is a recent resident of Sharpsburg and an excellent cook. She is a nonprofit consultant and writer specializing in grants for small to medium nonprofits. She has been a columnist for the Southeast Georgian, Stars and Stripes, and The Times-Picayune in New Orleans newspapers, and the Tyler Today magazine. She was appointed by President George Bush Sr. to serve on the committee that established the Points of Light Foundation. Her claim to fame is that she has visited every official Presidential Library.

If you have are looking for a specific recipe or technique or have questions or comments, please contact Gail at gailcmcg@gmail.com .

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Read Again https://times-herald.com/news/2020/12/nuts-about-cake

Bagikan Berita Ini