Recipe: Nathaniel’s Spice Cake

A friend of mine works at Bouchon Bakery, and is constantly sharing the recipes of the delights he makes when he is off the clock. He has an enthusiasm for baking that is unparalleled, and I find myself getting inspired alongside of him. He made a spice cake for a brunch, and was kind enough to share the recipe, originally found in Miisa Mink’s Nordic Bakery Cookbook. The moment this hits the table, it will start to disappear. Do not be surprised if guests request this, as I did, after their first bite!

Ingredients
– Medjool Dates – Lemon – Water – Butter  – Brown sugar  – Vanilla extract  – Eggs  – Dark rye flour  – Cardamom – Cinnamon – Baking Soda  – Salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees, and prepare the cake pan – 7″ pan – by greasing it and dusting with flour.

Place 1 1/2 cups dates and 3/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Simmer over low heat for ten minutes, or until very soft. Once softened mash the dates, adding the juice and zest of one lemon.

Beat 1 1/2 sticks, 1 Tablespoon of butter with 1 cup, 2 Tablespoons of brown sugar until fluffy. Add 1 tsp vanilla extract and 2 eggs (one at a time), beating until well mixed and scraping the side of the bowl with each addition.

Add 1 2/3 cups dark rye flour, 2 tsp cardamom, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp salt.  Mix until ~95% combined, and add the cooled date mixture. Continue stirring until completely mixed – you are looking for a soft cookie dough appearance, not too much liquid.

Pour the batter into the cake pan, and bake for ~50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool for 15 minutes in the pan. Flip onto a cooling rack, and let completely cool.

It’s now ready for consumption! If you are having a late brunch, you could make this first thing in the morning. Believe me, your guests will not be disappointed. Enjoy!

Until next time,
SugarSource

 

 

Travel Spotlight: Boston + Philly Sweets

Boston and Philadelphia both offer rich history – Boston Commons, the Liberty Bell, the streets where the Founding Fathers wandered to ponder the fate of this nascent nation. They also provide great opportunities for tasting delicious desserts.

Beantown (Boston)

Lulu’s

– JP Licks: The chocolate chocolate cupcake was not anything to write home about, and was amongst a small selection of cupcakes at the store known for it’s ice cream treats. I would recommend sticking with the store’s original offering instead of trying a baked good.

– Sweet Cupcakes: This cupcakery offered some off-beat varieties including caramel macchiato, maple cranberry and caramel apple. The macchiato did not have a strong coffee flavor – I would have assumed this was more of the vanilla variety if it hadn’t been for the label. The caramel apple was quite sticky, which wasn’t necessarily a bad attribute but it didn’t have the full flavor execution of other cupcakes with this same profile. It was difficult to locate the maple in the maple cranberry, and it was quite sweet – added sugar did not make up for lack of flavor.

– Lulu’s Sweet Shoppe: I committed a Boston sin and had cupcakes (gingerbread and chocolate salted caramel) in the North End instead of the traditional cannoli. The woman working the shop actually kept it open (I had called earlier regarding their hours), and opened the door just for me, which was a wonderful gesture! The gingerbread was decent, though a little dry – I missed the solid punch of ginger that I was hoping for, though molasses and cinnamon were both present. The chocolate salted caramel was about average for this type.

Philadelphia
In the city of Brotherly Love, there are some lovely confections for the trying.

Fruit Loop Macaron,
Sugar Truck Philly

– Reading Terminal: The lemon cake at Termini Bros is heavenly. After a quick day trip to the city for work, I managed to grab one of these delightful mini cakes on my way to the train station. What a great way to unwind from a long day of meetings – the cake was light, moist, and perfectly portioned for one (in my opinion). I’ve since tried some of the other offerings, such as the pecan bar and brownie, but the favorite remains the lemon cake.

– Morimoto: The yuzu meringue tart is delicious. A heavy dollop of whipped egg whites sites atop the yuzu tart – tart, citrusy filling and a buttery crust. I would recommend sharing – while it is scrumptious, it proved to be too sugary for one person to handle.

– Sugar Truck Philly: The fruit loop macaron was a tightly packed sugar punch! The flavor of Fruit Loops was absolutely present – it was as if they managed to condense the cereal into the soft, chewy outer shell of the macaron. It was almost too sweet for my liking, leaving my teeth slightly achy as an after-effect.

While only a small sampling, it did give me a sense of the variety available on the Eastern seaboard, and I’m anxious to return.

Until next time,
SugarSource