Ingredients

• 5 eggs, separated
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions

Makes 12 servings.

Grease and flour 2 (8- or 9-inch) round cake pans. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form; set aside. (If your mixer has only one large bowl, scrape eggs into another one.)

Beat butter and shortening with mixer at medium speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. With mixer running, gradually add the sugar; beat until no crystals remain. Beat in the egg yolks.

Whisk the baking soda into the flour. Add to the butter mixture alternately with the buttermilk in two or three additions, beating each time just until incorporated. Beat in the vanilla.

Fold reserved egg whites gently into the batter, and divide between the prepared pans. Bake 20 to 25 minutes for 8-inch pans, 30 to 35 minutes for 9-inch pans, until cakes test done. Frost as desired.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter, softened and divided
• 2 cups sugar, divided
• 3 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 1 cup toasted chopped pecans, divided
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup milk

Directions

Prep: 20 min., Cook: 7 min., Bake: 30 min., Cool: 5 min. Tart apples that hold their shape when cooked, such as Granny Smith, are best for this recipe. A small paring knife makes quick work of peeling the fruit.

Melt 1/4 cup butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat; add 1 cup sugar, and cook, stirring often, 2 minutes or until sugar is melted and begins to turn golden. Add apple slices, and cook, stirring often, 5 minutes or until apples have softened slightly and juices are thickened and syrupy. Remove skillet from heat, and sprinkle apple mixture with 1/2 cup pecans. Set aside.

Beat remaining 1/2 cup butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add remaining 1 cup sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

Stir together flour, baking powder, and cinnamon; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beating at low speed just until blended, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup pecans. Spoon batter evenly over apple mixture in skillet.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in skillet 5 minutes; invert onto serving plate.

Yield: Makes 8 servings

Southern Living, OCTOBER 2005

Ingredients

• 9 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

Place chocolate in a small bowl. In small saucepan, heat cream, bringing it just to a boil. Pour hot cream over chocolate and whisk until smooth. Chill mixture two hours before using.

Ingredients

• 1 tsp. ginger
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 1/2 cups sifted flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups cane syrup
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 tsps. soda
• 3/4 cup hot water

Directions

Makes 1 (8 1/2 x13 1/2 -inch) 1-layer cake.

Recipe from Betty Lou Delapasse from “Feast on the Levee” and “Cathedral Cuisine.”

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8 1/2 x13 1/2 -inch pan.

2. In medium bowl, combine oil, syrup and beaten egg.

3. Add cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt to flour. Resift flour and set aside.

4. Add soda to the 3/4-cup boiling water. Stir to mix.

5. Add dry ingredients alternately with the soda/water mixture to the oil and syrup mixture. Stir to blend.

6. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until top springs back. Do not overbake.

Variation: Chopped pecans or raisins may be added to batter if desired.

Source: The Advocate – Baton Rouge

*”This cake brings back good memories for me. I remember coming home from school and sitting down with a big slice of Gateau de Sirop and a glass of cold milk. Gateau de Sirop is French for Syrup Cake, but most of the time we just called it gingerbread.

It’s a one-layer cake, made with cane syrup, cinnamon, ginger and cloves, like gingerbread. It’s a cake that gets better as it sits awhile.
I have my mother’s recipe, but it has more oil, sugar and eggs than this version. Mother’s version was delicious and stayed moist for a week.

I was tempted to try this one because it had less oil, only one egg and no added sugar. The aroma coming from the oven will tempt everyone.”

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups All purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup mild-flavored molasses
• sweet whipped cream
• ground cinnamon, for garnish
• ground nutmeg, for garnish
• candied ginger slices (recipe below)

Directions

Grease a 9 x 1 1/2 inch round cake pan; set aside. In a bowl combine flour, 3/4 tsp cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside

In a large mixing bowl beat shortening with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg and molasses; beat 1 minute. Add flour mixture and 1/2 cup water alternately to mixture, beating on low speed after each addition until combined. Pour batter into pan.

Bake in a 350(F) oven for 35-40 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 30 minutes in pan on wire rack. Serve warm topped with sweetened whipped cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, and Candied Ginger slices

Makes 9 servings

Candied Ginger Slices:
Slice small knobs of unpeeled ginger very thinly with a mandoline. In a large, shallow pot make a sugar syrup by dissolving 2 cups sugar into 1 cup water over medium-high heat. Add the ginger slices to the syrup and cook until syrup is quite thick, about 10 minutes. Remove the ginger slices from the pot and let drain or clean parchement paper. Transfer to a rack to dry at room temp for at least 2 days.

Source: Country Home (October 2005)