cake 2: the farmer’s daughter’s cake
15 Sep 2011 2 Comments
in cake, sweets Tags: baking, bread crumbs, farmer's daughter cake, maida heatter, old-fashioned chocolate icing, vanilla
heavy cream
another plain cake—categorized as such by no less than the Queen of Cakes, Maida Heatter. Maida, as just everyone calls her, is America’s foremost dessert cookbook writer, referenced by that domestic goddess across the pond, Nigella. And everyone else. As the 100 cake escapade began, Maida Heatter’s Cakes was my first order at the library.
Maida is lauded as an indispensible kitchen friend to the home baker, with reliable results from her precisely measured and articulated recipes. Therefore, i typed up the recipe for the Farmer’s Daughter’s Cake in its entirety below. i am notoriously ill-measured; there aren’t even measuring spoons in the kitchen. likewise no perfectly suitable in size and presentation 8 inch square cake pan. also, i am apparently less generous in my laying out of process and procedure.
she theorizes that the cake recipe, which relies on fresh, sturdy cream rather than butter or oil, originated on a dairy farm where plenty such cream would be at hand. With her characteristic flair, she thus christened the Farmer’s Daughter’s cake. On name alone this one’s party worthy, and it is a pretty little white cake with a luxurious icing. Maida calls it old-fashioned, yet even using a handheld electric mixer for the 15 minute beating was challenging, so that little lady must have had some guns.
before you try this at home, here are some top tips from Maida’s vast store of cakely wisdom:
to the left
- Set out all the ingredients for your recipe on one side of the bowl. Then, as you use them, place them to the other side. This way, nothing critical like baking powder gets left out. You’re also on your way to ensuring all your goods are at room temperature.
2. Sift your flour before you measure it. For pity’s sake, don’t believe pre-sifted on a label means anything. Sift it, spoon it into measuring cups, level it off then sift it again. Usually with other dry stuffs like salt.
3. Dust your pan with fine, dry unflavored bread crumbs rather than flour. She seems obsessed with it. It did turn out a handsome crust. With the A-mazing icing, though, it is hard to say if this would stand on its own as in the first cake of no icing.
although this is not Maida’s favorite cake, it does feature her favorite ingredient: chocolate. In an interview with foodies.com, she said:
Q: I understand that your husband once said that you could “hear” chocolate. What does it sound like?
A: (Laughter and more laughter) It sounds like a lover.
Her Big Daddy cake is sure to follow in the 100 cake production list!
The Farmer’s Daughter’s Cake
Adjust a rack to the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350˚. Butter an 8 x 8 x 2-inch square cake pan, dust all over lightly with fine, dry bread crumbs, invert it over paper, and tap lightly to shake out excess crumbs. Set aside.
Sift together the flour 2 cups sifted apf, baking powder 2 teaspoons, and salt ¼ teaspoon, and set aside
In the small bowl of an electric mixer beat the eggs 2 eggs, beat in the vanilla 1 teaspoon and almond ¼ teaspoon extracts, and the sugar 1 cup granulated white sugar. Then beat in the cream 1 cup heavy cream and finally, on low speed, add the dry ingredients and beat only until smooth.
Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the cake just begins to come away from the sides of the pan and until a toothpick inserted gently in the middle come out clean. (The cake will rise with a domed top but will flatten as it cools; the top might or might not crack during baking—if it does it is okay.)
Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes, then cut carefully around the sides to release, and let stand for 5 minutes more.
Cover with a rack, turn the pan and rack over, remove the pan, and let the cake stand upside down to cool. When cool, transfer the cake to a cake plate or cutting board. There is a chance that more icing might run down on the sides than you want; therefore, protect the plate by sliding a 12 x 2- to 3- inch piece of parchment or wax paper under each side of the cake.
The icing can be made up to the beating stage while the cake is baking, or while it is cooling.
Old-fashioned Chocolate Icing
Place the chocolate 4 ounces, milk ½ cup cold, and sugar 1 1/3 cups granulated white in a small heavy saucepan over moderate heat. Stir until the chocolate is melted and the sugar is dissolved (this does not have to boil). Remove from the heat and let stand for a minute.
In a small bowl stir the yolks 2 egg yolks lightly with a small wire whisk just to mix. Very gradually stir in about half of the warm chocolate mixture, and then add the yolks to the remaining warm chocolate mixture.
Cook over low heat, stirring, for 1 minute. (The mixture might not look smooth now, but if you did not add the warm chocolate mixture to the yolks too quickly, it will be okay.)
Transfer to the small bowl of an electric mixer and stir in the butter 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon and vanilla 1 teaspoon. Let stand until cool. (The icing can be made up to this point while the cake is baking or cooling if you wish.)
Then beat the icing at high speed for 10 to 15 minutes (reduce the speed as necessary if the icing splashes), until the mixture is smooth/shiny/very slightly paler in color and as thick as heavy syrup.
If you pour the icing at once now onto the cake, too much of it will run down the sides. Pour about half of it onto the cake. Let stand for a minute or so, then pour a bit of icing onto the middle and toward the corners of the cake. Wait another minute or so. Now you can probably pour the remaining icing over the top, and probably only very little will run down the sides (which is the way it should be), but if it still seems too runny pour more gradually. It is not necessary to smooth the top.
Let the cake stand for a few hours for the icing to set. The icing will become dry to the touch but it will remain deliciously soft.
Slowly pull each piece of parchment or wax paper out toward a narrow end.
Recipient, James Beard Foundation Cookbook Hall of Fame Award- Maida Heatter’s Cakes (2011 reprint).
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