Early American Spice Cake Recipes

OLD-FASHIONED SPICE CAKE

Steps:

• Before you take a step, read this recipe through. Then get out all the necessary equipment and ingredients.
• Now measure all ingredients accurately using standard measuring utensils. We can't overemphasize how important accurate measuring is.
• Start your oven at 350 (F) or moderate.
• Next, heavily grease bottoms and sides of three 8-inch cake pans with shortening (do not use any salted fat).
• Then coat pans with flour by sifting a little into each pan and shaking vigorously so there is a film of flour over bottoms and sides.
• Dump out any surplus. This device helps baked cakes to drop from pans easily.
• Sift flour, then spoon lightly into a standard measuring cup and cut off excess to make a level cupful. Do not shake flour down into cup.
• Sift flour again, this time with the baking powder, baking soda, salt, cloves, cinnamon and pepper. Right here, if your brown sugar is lumpy, sift or roll it.
• Now, with your nice clean hands, work or cream the shortening, butter or margarine with a beating motion until it looks like whipped cream.
• At this point, begin to work in the brown sugar a little at a time; next the granulated sugar.
• Add vanilla extract.
• Continue creaming until mixture is very fluffy and the grains of sugar almost disappear. This is a bit of a chore, but it's the trick that makes a wonderful texture.
• When sugar is all in, add the eggs, unbeaten, one at a time, beating hard after each addition. From here on, work fast. Don't fool around!
• Now you begin to add the flour mixture.
• Sift about 1/3 into the batter and stir it in. Do not beat.
• Then add about 1/2 of the buttermilk or sour milk and stir it in.
• Repeat these operations, ending with flour.
• Pour batter into greased pans, dividing it evenly.
• Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until cake edges leave sides of pans.
• Remove from oven, allow to cool about 5 minutes before turning out on a cake rack to cool thoroughly.

EARLY AMERICAN SPICE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
• Grease and flour a 9" X 13" pan.
• Cream shortening and gradually add sugar beating until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs all at one time, beating well after each addition.
• Sift together flour, soda, salt and spices.
• Add alternately with buttermilk, blend well after each addition.
• Pour into prepared pan.
• Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until done.

MAMA'S SPICE CAKE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine the first eight ingredients; cook and stir over medium-low heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat; cool. , In a large bowl, beat egg yolks; gradually stir in spice mixture. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda; gradually add to spice mixture until blended. Stir in pecans. In a small bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form; fold into the batter. , Pour into two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 325° until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. , For frosting, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add vanilla and salt. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth. To decorate, spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake, leaving cake slightly exposed on the sides. If desired, top with pecans, cinnamon sticks, fresh bay leaves, fresh rosemary sprigs and confectioners' sugar. Store in the refrigerator.

MOIST, TENDER SPICE CAKE

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour a metal or disposable foil 9-by-13-inch pan. Whisk dry ingredients and spices in a large bowl. Mix milk, eggs and vanilla extract in a 2-cup measuring cup.
• Beat softened butter into dry ingredients, first on low, then medium, until mixture forms pebble-sized pieces. Add about 1/3 of the milk mixture and beat on low until smooth. Add remaining milk mixture in two stages; beat on medium speed until batter is just smooth. Add the sugar; beat until just incorporated, about 30 seconds. Pour batter into cake pan.
• Bake until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the cake's center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Set pan on a wire rack; let cool for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the pan perimeter and turn cake onto rack. Let cool.