Southern Nut Cake Recipes

MOTHER'S WALNUT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cream butter, shortening and granulated sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk and vanilla. Beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in ground walnuts. , Pour into three greased and floured 9-in. round pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely. , For frosting, beat cream cheese and butter. Add confectioners' sugar; mix well. Beat in vanilla until smooth. Spread frosting between layers and over the top and sides of cake. Sprinkle with walnuts. Refrigerate.

FRANKLIN NUT CAKE

Steps:

• Cream butter and sugar. Add beaten eggs and 3 cups flour with baking powder and salt added. Mix remaining 1 cup of flour with chopped nuts and chopped candied fruits. Mix into batter and add vanilla. Grease, flour, and line a large tube pan. Pour mixture into pan. Bake at 250 for 3 hours. Let cool for an hour. Remove from pan and place in a covered container with a glass of sherry, so the cake and wine "get to know each other". Let sit for 4 days until the sherry flavor permeates the cake. Slice thin.

FESTIVE NUT CAKE

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a small bowl; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 325°. Grease and flour a 10-in. tube pan., In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extracts. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition., Add cream of tartar to egg whites; with clean beaters, beat on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold into batter with almonds, cashews, pecans and walnuts., Transfer to prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 60-65 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely., For glaze, in a small bowl, mix confectioners' sugar and enough milk to reach desired consistency. Drizzle over cake and, if desired, sprinkle with additional nuts.

SOUTHERN NUT CAKE

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack 1/3 the way up from the bottom. Preheat oven to 325°. Butter a 10 by 4 inch tube pan (like an angel food cake pan). Line the bottom with wax or parchment paper. Butter the paper and dust all over with fine bread crumbs.
• Break or cut the nuts into large pieces. They should NOT be finely chopped. Place them in the largest bowl you have.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, mace and salt. Set aside. Combine the milk and brandy or bourbon. Set aside.
• In an electric mixer, cream the butter. Add the sugar and beat for a few minutes, scraping the bowl as necessary. On moderate speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating until thoroughly incorporated after each egg and scraping the bowl when necessary to keep everything well mixed. Increase speed and beat until light and fluffy- about 3 minutes. The batter may look curdled at this point- that's OK.
• On lowest speed alternately add the sifted dry ingredients in three additions with the milk mixture in two, scraping the bowl as necessary with the spatula and beating only until smooth after each addition.
• Pour the batter over the nuts. Stir with a large wooden spoon until the nuts are all coated with the batter. Turn into the prepared pan and level the top.
• Bake for 1 ¾ hours or until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from the oven and place the cake pan on a rack. Generously sprinkle or brush the brandy or bourbon on top of the hot cake. Let cake cool in the pan for about 20 minutes.
• Cover the cake with a rack and invert to remove pan and paper. Cover with another rack and carefully invert again to cool. It's better if it sits for 24 hours before cutting.

SOUTHERN FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Grease and flour two 9x5-in. loaf pans. Line the bottoms with waxed paper; grease and flour the paper. Set aside., Combine the pecans, pineapple, peaches, raisins and 1/2 cup flour; set aside. , In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar; add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add 1/2 cup peach nectar, honey and milk; beat well (mixture will appear curdled). Combine cinnamon, baking powder, salt, allspice and remaining flour; add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Add pecan mixture; stir well., Pour into prepared pans. Bake at 325° for 1-1/2 hours or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes. , With a skewer, poke holes in the loaves. Spoon remaining nectar over loaves. Let stand for 10 minutes; remove from pans to a wire rack to cool completely. Wrap tightly and store in a cool place. Slice and bring to room temperature before serving.

GRANDMA'S HICKORY NUT CAKE

Steps:

• Cream together sugar and butter for cake. Add eggs; beat on medium speed of mixer for 2 minutes. Mix dry ingredients together lightly with fork. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk. Mix well. Stir in vanilla and nuts. Pour into greased 13x9-in. baking pan. , Bake at 325° for 45-50 minutes. (Cake may be baked in 8-in. layer pans.) Cool. Make frosting by melting butter in a medium saucepan. Add brown sugar; boil 2 minutes. Add milk; bring to boil. Remove from heat; cool to lukewarm. Beat in sugar and vanilla. (May add chopped hickory nuts, 1/2 cup if desired.) Frost cake.