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This is not a cake; it’s an adventure.
I’m fascinated by old-fashioned recipes, and Burnt Sugar Cake has been on my must-try list for awhile. If you don’t recognize the name of the cake, you would most likely recognize the flavor. It’s a cake you had sometime in your childhood, while visiting older family members or at a church supper somewhere. Burnt Sugar Cake has a unique taste that just spells home and country roads and a day when people spent more time in the kitchen. But there’s a reason Burnt Sugar Cake isn’t so popular anymore–it does take time. There is no cake mix that will give you the flavor of burnt sugar. You have to “burn” the sugar yourself, and make the cake from scratch.
But let me tell you–it’s worth it.
I started out with a recipe from an elderly church lady who has since passed away. The recipe included the list of ingredients, with some measurements (but not all), and directions that were incredibly lacking. (In which she instructs about ingredients that aren’t even mentioned in the list of ingredients and measurements.) You know, it’s one of those recipes–the type where they all knew what they were doing and only halfway wrote it down because you were supposed to know, too. It gave absolutely no instructions about burning the sugar.
Lost, I turned to the internet and studied burnt sugar cake recipes I found online. I chose one and made it…. It was quite different from the “authentic” recipe I had from the elderly lady, but hey, at least it had directions. Unfortunately, the cake was terrible. It baked up dry and dense and just utterly unacceptable.
Not to be deterred, I took what I’d learned from the online recipe and went back to the “authentic” one. Armed with at least a sense of how burnt sugar is created and the process of this cake, I tackled the old-time recipe again, filling in the gaps with my own experience. You know, the experience the incomplete recipe assumed I had to begin with. The two recipes were different in several ways, and by and large my second attempt was based on the old-time recipe. However, where measurements were incomplete in the old-time recipe, I filled in with my own guesses from my baking background, and what I ended up with was a delicious, moist, light cake that fulfilled all my Burnt Sugar Cake dreams.
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How to make Old-Time Burnt Sugar Cake:
Making Burnt Sugar Syrup–
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 1/3 cups water
Dump the sugar in a skillet on the stove. Turn the heat to medium-low.
You don’t actually “burn” the sugar–you melt it. The sugar will just…melt. Seriously. Who knew? (Stop laughing. I’m from the suburbs.)
Stir only occasionally. The less you stir, the better. If you can’t restrain yourself, walk away for five to ten minutes and come back. It will look like this.
Now add the hot water, continuing with your heat on medium-low. (The online recipe instructed me to boil the water before adding it. This was not in sync with the old-time recipe and it’s not necessary. (Old church ladies know this stuff!) I made the burnt sugar twice, with each recipe, and I’m here to tell you that you don’t need to boil the water. Just use it hot right out of your tap. That’s good enough.
The melted sugar gets all excited when you add the water and it will bubble up.
Then it will calm down and after another five to ten minutes (again, it doesn’t like to be stirred too much), it will look like this.
Turn off the heat and set it aside to cool to room temperature while you start preparing the cake. The syrup is thin while it’s hot, but as it cools, it thickens. By the way, if you’re ever snowed in and have to have pancakes, this makes a pancake syrup in a pinch. Add a bit of maple flavoring if you have some on hand and it’s make-do maple syrup. Just remember, however much you want to make, use equal parts sugar and water. You know, if you’re snowed in and have to have pancakes. I wouldn’t want anyone to go without pancakes ever again. It’s an unnecessary tragedy. (Never run out of pancake mix again, either–try my Quick Mix.)
Note: Using 1 1/3 cups sugar and 1 1/3 cups water, you’re going to end up with approximately 1 1/4 cups Burnt Sugar Syrup after it cooks down in the process. Your exact mileage may vary.
Making Burnt Sugar Cake–
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs (yolks/whites divided)
1/2 cup Burnt Sugar Syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup water (minus one teaspoon)
3/4 cup milk
Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In another bowl, combine room temperature butter and the sugar. Cream. Add two egg yolks and beat again.
In a small bowl, beat egg whites till fluffy.
Pour or spoon 1/2 cup of the Burnt Sugar Syrup in a one-cup measuring cup. Add the teaspoon of vanilla then add enough water (cool to lukewarm) to add up to a cup combined with the Burnt Sugar Syrup and the vanilla. To the bowl with flour, add the creamed butter/sugar/egg yolks, the Burnt Sugar Syrup mixture, and the milk. Beat well. Gently fold in the egg whites. (Do not beat again.) The online recipe didn’t call for the eggs to be separated with the whites beaten then folded in. This is an extra step, but it makes a difference. Trust me.
Divide into two round, greased cake pans.
Bake at 350-degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. (Don’t overbake!)
Cool and frost with Burnt Sugar Icing.
Making Burnt Sugar Icing–
16 ounces powdered sugar
2/3 cup to 3/4 cup Burnt Sugar Syrup (however much you have left in the skillet! as noted above, your mileage will vary after your syrup cooks down)
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
Combine and beat till smooth and spreadable. If your icing is too stiff because you found yourself on the low side with your remaining Burnt Sugar Syrup, add a bit of milk or water. Frost cake and decorate with pecan halves. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
Excuse me while I inhale this cake….
P.S. I don’t use cake flour. Ever. If a cake recipe can’t be made with regular flour, it’s just a bad recipe in my book. When I post a cake recipe, I’m using regular flour and it’s a recipe that works.
P.P.S. I don’t use bread flour, either. Ever. If a bread recipe can’t be made with regular flour, it’s just a bad recipe in my book. When I post a bread recipe, I’m using regular flour and it’s a recipe that works.
P.P.P.S. I’m too frugal for that special cake and bread flour nonsense.
P.P.P.P.S. I just wanted to use another P. The extra P’s are free!
See this recipe at Farm Bell Recipes and save it to your recipe box.
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I have eaten burnt sugar cake in Harrisonburg, VA, but yours looks so much more appealing. However did you get it to look that good coming out of the pans? Now I want some! You are just the best at making me want to turn that dadgum oven on before Fall.
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thanks for the forum too – so nice to see what others write and where they are from
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My granny used to make this, I thought it was just like a pecan cake, cause I’d always pick them off the outside before I ate it.
Weird to find out that it had a real “offical” name!
And you are right its one of those things you just have to have to understand It wasn’t my favorite she’d make though but it was good stuff.
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I too love old old recipes (receipts as Grandma used to say). Grandma made a burnt sugar cake too and you’ve inspired me to get moving on it again. Thanks!
I have many old recipes of Grandma’s; I’ll try and post one or two that are “ole-timey”, but not too long – and no really strange ones like “headcheese”.
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I can’t help it- I teach bread making classes and people want to know the science behind the bread when they are paying for a class. And the wheat does make a difference because of it’s gluten making properties- OK- enough of that! I just wanted to explain why there are so many flours out there. All purpose is exactly that- all purpose and can be used for everything!
Your cake is beautiful- you should have entered it in the fair!
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I’m with you on the cake and bread flour. They didn’t have that stuff when the Grannies were creating these delicious treats.
By the way, is the flower, on your daily photo, a Wild Touch-Me-Not?
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You did forget one important ingredient for the cake though Rumor has it by you that you are pant-less so maybe I need to try that when baking, not sure that would go over too well with all the grandkids running around. It is a bit chilly oday too.
And I can just see you on Paula Deans show (or with Martha) with both of you Pant-less talking about your recipes. Oh my Food Network is achangin’ fast now.
Blessings.
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Laura, yes, I greased the cake pans. Ack, I left that out. I’ll go add it to the post. Thanks!
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Have you ever heard of the Foxfire books? They were really hot in the late 60′s, early 70′s. They will tell you everything from how to scald a hog to playing a dulcimer. And they also have pictures. Lots of Appalachian photos of people making soap and all kinds of good stuff. Great for people wanting to go ‘back to the land’. Check it out! There are volumes and volumes of them.
Sooz in NV
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You know what else I love? Your hand mixer. I have a stand mixer that I rarely use. I just like my hand mixer.
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Try Googling it and see for sure.
The reason I asked is…
My Dad always told me if you crush the stem and put the juice on poison ivy, it will get rid of it overnight. I cannot find it here in SC. If you ever get poison ivy, it might be worth a try.
Remember where it grows, you might have a hard time finding it when the flowers die off. I know I did, when I lived in WV.
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Hers is called Caramel Cake
Caramel Cake
1 stick of Butter
1 and 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup Caramel Syrup (recipe follows)
2 cups sifted all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 large eggs
Caramel Frosting (recipe follows)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two 8 inch layer cake pans with greased wax paper.
In large bowl, beat butter, and add 1 cup sugar gradually until light and fluffy. Beat in syrup.
In medium bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt together. Add sifted ingredients to creamed mixture, alternating with milk.
In seperate medium mixing bowl, beat eggs about 3 minutes, until foamy. Add remaining sugar, and beat until there is a fine spongy foam. Stir into cake batter until well blended.
Divide batter between cake pans. Bake for about 25 minutes. Remove pans from oven. Gently press center of cake with forefinger. Cake should spring back when finger is removed. If it doesn’t, return to oven for 10 minutes. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Turn out onto rack, and remove wax paper. Let cakes cool to room temp. before frosting.
To assemble: Center one cooled cake layer on cake plate. Cover top and sides with generous helping of frosting. Place second layer evenly on frosted layer. Repeat frosting procedure. Make certain that sides are completely frosted. Cool in fridge until ready to serve.
Caramel Syrup
1 cup white sugar
1 cup boiling water
Heat sugar in heavy skillet over low heat. Stir constantly until melted to a brown liquid. When it bubbles over entire surface, remove from heat. Slowly add boiling water, stirring constantly. Pour into container and cool.
The picture looks divine…it has a piece cut out, so you can see the dark brown edges of the cake layers and the icking is more thin looking than yours…she has this syrup drizzled all over the surface of the cake. She also has stories with her recipes, telling how her momma made her this cake when little – the teacher slapped her in the face!!!! SAD! I HOPE TO TRY one day.
My grandmother cooked like that…she gave me her spongecake recipe and mine did not turn out…she just knew it by heart, for years.
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Cake is my FAV dessert..then cookies. LOL I THINK I also saw a similar recipe in my mother’s OLD Betty Crocker cookbook.
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Caramel Frosting
6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
One 8-ounce pkg. Confectioners’ sugar
4 Tablespoons heavy cream
1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Brown butter in heavy pot over medium heat – be vigilant or it will burn. Allow butter to cool. In large mixing bowl, add confect.’s sugar, cream, vanilla extract, and salt to the butter, and beat until smooth. If frosting is too stiff, add tablespoon of half-and-half or full cream to thin.
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2 Tablespoons of cornstarch
(or as mom used to do 2Tbs of cornstarch in a 1 cup measuring cup and then fill with flour)
Then sift it like 10 times to make it lighter and fluffier then reg flour.
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I am hoping you try my recipe above one day and tell me if they are similar. LOL They sound close. YOurs looks HEAVENLY.
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Thank you for the leg work and the recipe!
Traci
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I just stumbled on your blog and boy am I glad I did….this recipe looks delicious!!
I have a recipe on my blog for caramel dumplings which my mother and grandmother used to make.
It has the same burnt sugar syrup, but you drop sweet dumplings into it and it makes it’s own sauce.
I will be back often.
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She mentioned them making desserts for quilting bees…LOL
Her book is full of old Southern recipes. Biscuits, tomato rice, fried chicken, shortribs…good tips.
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i am definitely going to do this for my sisters…..:D
bravo!
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I’ll have to spend whole day making it, I am not a good cook :wall: Lots of smileys choice here !! :bananadance:
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& LOVED the picture before last
those cakes look so perfect..
Thumbs up!
The blogger next door
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Thanks
Good to see these images, i likes all the info and there relaed images, good work really great stuff.
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And you have done a fantastic job writing up the recipe. I am definitely going to attempt this at home and take it to the next family gathering. Bakeries have stopped making burnt sugar cakes in my area. Thank you!
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Remember, life is short. Eat more dessert. :smile:
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Of course if you’re caramelizing at an incredibly low heat as this method seems to call for then this shouldn’t be to much of a problem. However keep an eye on the sugar if you’re in a rush.
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Terrific! Thanks for the recipe! Definitely an adventure, as you say. Moist and almost chewy, with a wonderful finish. A little slice goes a long way.
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I used to live on a farm in Wisconsin… your pages brought me good memories…
I also write… I have a big collection but I’m not published yet…
Good to know you!
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Moral of the story – use your old fashioned pan!!
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Thanks also for the icing recipe–it is indeed rich, but it’s a little too much for my taste when put over the whole cake. I have an alternative for those who want a slightly different experience.
I made the icing recipe you suggested and used this thick, carmelly stuff as the filling on my layer cake. For the outside I used an old family recipe which we simply call, “Creamy Frosting.” It’s a simple recipe and is probably familiar to many or is printed somewhere, but I’ve never found it. My mom and aunts were using it back in the 50s, but I don’t know where it came from before that. I come from a long line of Colorado farmers, so this recipe likely came from a country kitchen somewhere.
What I like about it is that it’s lighter, fluffy and compliments almost any cake. It can take flavor and color well (adding cocoa to it makes a great, light chocolate frosting). So, for this recipe I simply made a little extra burnt sugar syrup and added that as my flavoring. The result was wonderful. Here’s the recipe:
1/2 C Butter (or margarine)
1/2 C Vegetable Shortening
1 C Sugar
3 TBL. Flour
1/2 C. Milk (at Room Temp.)
2 tsp. Vanilla
Optional: Other flavoring as desired
Cream together butter, shortening and sugar. Alternately add flour and milk. Beat at high speed until sugar is no longer grainy. Add vanilla. Add other flavorings to taste.
I’m enjoying this cake immensely. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe and experience!
Robert Hubbard
rh_colo@hotmail.com
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If you want I can email you a copy.
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Thanks for Sharing! Sherry A in Kansas
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P.P.P.P.P.S You are hilarious
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Tom
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One caveat, however: don’t walk away from the sugar in the skillet because it will burn. (I learned the hard way). I used a copper skillet on medium low heat when I made the mess. It took awhile to get the burned mess out of the skillet but I did. On my second try, again I used a copper skillet but this time I hovered over the sugar as it melted, adjusting the gas burner as necessary. That worked for me and I was successful in getting the right color and consistency.