Lost Recipe-Found (Burnt Sugar Cake)

On February 25th, I posted an article about my maternal grandmother and the two recipes that were her signature dishes. In trying to obtain the recipe for Burnt Sugar Cake, my mother wasn't sure where to find the original. Fortunately she was able to locate the recipe and I now can share it with you. (I will leave the recipe for the cake in the original post but this is the one I specifically remember from my grandmother.)

Burnt Sugar Cake and Icing
Cake
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 egg yolks
2 1/2 cups cake flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup water (may use heavy cream instead)
3 tsp. burnt sugar syrup
2 stiff beaten egg whites
Cream butter and sugar thoroughly; add vanilla and egg yolks and beat until fluffy. Add flour, sifted with baking power, alternately with water, beating well after each addition. Add burnt sugar syrup and fold in egg whites. Bake in 2 greased 8-inch layer pans in a moderate oven (350 degrees) about 30 minutes.

Burnt Sugar Syrup
Melt 1/2 cup white sugar in a skillet over low heat until dark and smooth. Remove from heat, add 1/2 cup boiling water, return to heat, and stir rapidly until a molasses-like syrup results.

Icing
2 cups sugar
2 Tbsp burnt sugar syrup
1 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp white Karo syrup

1 tsp vanilla

Mix first four ingredients in heavy sauce pan bringing to soft-ball stage. Remove from heat, add vanilla and beat until thick and creamy. Spread on cake. Do not allow icing to cool completely or you will have burnt sugar candy and unable to spread.

Comments

Kelly-Jane said…
Mmm, that sounds like a lovely cake, yum!
Mary Bohner said…
Thanks, Kelly-Jane. It was a very sweet cake but for those 3-4 times a year that you let yourself indulge, it was wonderful.

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