“Chef John Folse's
modern update on the old-fashioned Creole
spice
cake has haunted Judy Walker ever since she ate it at an
event at the
Rural Life Museum in Baton Rouge.
Because it was packaged for a lunch bucket, the cake was cut
into
circles with a pastry cutter. The rum syrup makes it plenty
moist, so
forego the icing if you wish.”
Makes 10-12 servings
2 1/2 cups cake flour [such as 'Swans
Down', NOT self-rising flour]
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks [1 cup] unsalted
butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
Rum Syrup
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup rum
Roasted pecan halves (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9-inch cake pans with 2-inch
lips. Line bottoms of pans with buttered parchment paper or spray well
with vegetable spray. In a large mixing bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In a separate mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar and 1 cup white sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at
a time, beating until light yellow and ribbony. Continue until all eggs are
added. Blend in vanilla. Slowly blend in all dry ingredients in three equal
additions alternately with milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingre-dients. Blend in cinnamon, clove and chopped pecans.
Divide batter equally between the pans. Place cakes in center of oven and bake 30-35 minutes or until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack and
peel off the parchment paper. Cool completely.
To make rum syrup, combine water, 1/4 cup sugar and rum. Bring to a rolling boil, reduce to simmer and cook until sugar is dissolved completely and syrup coats the back of the spoon. Syrup should be reduced by 25 percent. Cool slightly.
Insert a toothpick or skewer 10-12 times at inter-
vals around the cake and brush with syrup.
To serve, cut into serving
pieces or use a 2-inch pastry cutter to cut into circles, or frost whole
cakes with your favorite icing to create a layer cake. Top with roasted
pecan halves (optional).
