Old Fashioned Sugar Cake Recipe 455

OLD-FASHIONED BROWN SUGAR CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a fluted tube pan.
• Combine brown sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in eggs one at a time until well blended.
• Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in a separate bowl. Stir vanilla extract and almond extract into buttermilk. Add flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the creamed butter mixture, beating well between additions.
• Pour batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes.

OLE FASHIONED POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl, then set aside. Cream the butter and sugar in a stand mixer on low speed until it looks pale yellow, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time. Scrape down the sides after adding each egg. Mix in the vanilla and lemon extracts. Add a third of the flour mixture. Mix well and scrape down the sides. Add half of the sour cream. Mix well and scrape down the sides. Add another third of the flour mixture. Mix well and scrape down the sides. Add the remaining sour cream. Mix well and scrape down the sides. Add the remaining flour. Mix well and scrape down the sides. Use your spatula to scrape the bottom of the mixing bowl to be sure everything is incorporated well.
• Spray a 9-inch Bundt pan well. Pour the batter into the Bundt pan and smooth the top. Bake until golden brown on top, 1 hour 15 minutes. Use a cake tester to check to see if the cake is done; if the tester comes out clean, it's done. If not ready, bake in increments of 5 minutes. Let the cake cool in the Bundt pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack and remove the pan to cool completely.
• Grilled pound cake is best with cake that is 3 to 5 days old. Preheat a griddle with lines. Cut slices about 1/2 inch thick. Grill each side for 2 to 3 minutes. (If cooking on an outdoor grill, grill just until grill marks appear, 30 seconds to 1 minute per side.) Serve immediately with fresh berries or a fruit compote.

BURNT SUGAR CAKE (BETTY CROCKER: CIRCA 1956)

Steps:

• Syrup: To make syrup first caramelize the 1/2 cup sugar in a heavy skillet over low heat until clear and medium brown, shaking pan gently to keep from burning.
• Remove from heat.
• Add slowly, stirring constantly, 1/2 cup boiling water.
• Stir over low heat until lumps are dissolved.
• Measure and add water to make 1 cup liquid.
• Cool.
• Cake: Sift together into bowl, 2 1/4 cups sifted Softasilk flour, 1 cup sugar, 3 teaspoons baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt.
• Add 1/2 cup soft shortening and 2/3 cup cooled caramel-water mixture.
• Beat 2 minutes.
• Add remaining 1/3 cup cooled caramel-water mixture, 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
• Beat 2 more minutes.
• Pour into greased and floured pans (2 8-inch pans, or 2 9-inch pans, or 1 9 X 13 oblong pan).
• Makes a small cake.
• Bake until cake tests done.
• Cool.
• Finish with Creamy Burnt Sugar Icing.
• Preheat 350°F (moderate oven) 8-inch layers 30-35 minutes 9-inch layers 25-30 minutes oblong 9 X 13 35-40 minutes.
• Creamy Burnt Sugar Icing: First make another caramel sugar-water mixture following directions in recipe above.
• Caramelize 1/2 cup sugar.
• Add 1/4 cup boiling water.
• DO NOT ADD any more water!
• Melt in saucepan 1/2 cup shortening (part butter).
• Remove from heat and add 2 1/2 tablespoons Softasilk flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
• Stir in slowly caramel-water mixture.
• Bring to boil stirring constantly.
• Boil 1 minute.
• If mixture curdles, do not be alarmed.
• Remove from heat.
• Beat in alternately, 3 cups sifted confectioners' sugar and about 3 tablespoons water.
• Set saucepan in bowl of cold water.
• Beat until consistency to spread.
• Stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.
• If it becomes too thick to spread, add a little water.

AMISH SUGAR CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
• In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and 2 cups sugar until smooth. Stir in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt; stir into the creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk until well blended. Place big heaping tablespoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets about 3 inches apart. Sprinkle each cookie with some of the remaining sugar.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until edges begin to turn golden. Remove from baking sheets to cool on wire racks. When cool, store in an airtight container.