WEEK 45: THE BEST RECIPE OR TECHNIQUE YOUR MOTHER TAUGHT YOU
Faulknerian Family Spice Cake with
Caramel Icing
Photography by Melanie Einzig
BY ENUNN | SERVES 10 TO 12
A&M: ENunn introduced this showstopping cake with this charming declaration: “Being from the South, I come from a rather, ah … kooky family in which relationships are tangled but the food is straightforward and good.” And in the true Southern tradition, this is a cake that makes a statement. The spices are pervasive, the icing concentrated and sweet, the height of the cake breathtaking. You expect a cake like this to be heavy, but ENunn’s mother’s recipe produces a cake that’s finely textured and featherweight. ENunn rightly said, “Just like the South, you’ll keep going back to it even past the point when it seems to be verging on an unhealthy addiction. It’s that good.”
CAKE
½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup shortening (yes, shortening)
3 cups sugar
5 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground mace (don’t leave this out)
½ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
CARAMEL ICING
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- To make the cake, heat the oven to 325°F. Grease and flour a tube pan and set aside. Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, shortening, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until smooth.
- Sift together the dry ingredients, twice. Add the dry mixture to the creamed mixture, alternating with the milk. Add the vanilla. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes, turn out of the pan, and allow to cool completely on the rack.
- For the caramel icing: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and stir in the brown sugar and cream. Remove from the heat and stir until smooth. Return to the heat and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Let the mixture cool, then beat in the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. Ice the cooled cake.
Photography by Melanie Einzig
TIPS AND TECHNIQUES
We used organic shortening made with nonhydrogenated fat.
To ice the cake, invert it onto a platter and spread the icing on the top and sides. We tried drizzling it, and you shouldn’t.
ABOUT THE COOK
Read more about ENunn, and get her recipe for Lemony Cream Cheese Pancakes with Blueberries.
WHAT THE COMMUNITY SAID
Daphne: “This is the cake of my dreams, literally! I made it yesterday morning and all who have tasted it since have agreed it’s the best cake ever! Today, late morning after a long walk with the dogs, it’s raining here in the SF Bay Area. I’m inside with a slice of your cake and a cafe au lait, sheer heaven! Thank you for the recipe!”
halfasiangirl: “Made this last night and it is totally, seriously, completely delicious. I had a little problem with the icing (it was too thick for spreading) so I added it to the bowl of a stand mixer, whipped it like mad, and dribbled in a little cream. Perfect! With other cakes, I often end up pushing the frosting to the side—but a thin layer really does add something. Thanks for the lovely recipe.”