Posted on 09/24/2015 4:39:28 PM PDT by Jamestown1630
I love thrift stores - you never know what you'll find, and nearly all of my extensive cookbook collection has come from the local 'thrift' - not to mention my ever-growing collection of vintage Pfaltzgraff 'Yorktowne'. (My husband has finally surrendered, ceased wondering just how many dishes a woman really needs, and now proudly ferrets-out the best pieces that are hiding somewhere behind all the other 'junque' in the store ;-)
A few weeks ago I found a New Orleans cookbook that had an interesting cake recipe. I haven't tried it yet, but I thought I'd post it here and ask all of you about it.
First: what kind of Jam? I'm wavering between Peach and Apricot; I think I was attracted to this because of the 'Penuche' icing - a favorite flavor - and the jam should go with that. Also, the recipe seems a little odd to me: will the icing actually spread, and frost a three layer cake? I've never made a cake like this.
From 'La Bonne Cuisine: Cooking New Orleans Style', compiled by the Women of All Saints' Episcopal Church of New Orleans, LA:
JAM CAKE ;-)
1/2 Cup Butter
1 Cup Sugar
1 tsp. Baking Soda
8 T. cold Water
4 Eggs
2 Cups Flour
1 tsp. each ground cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg
1 cup thick JAM
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. In a measuring cup, dissolve the soda in the water. Add the eggs to the butter/sugar mixture, one at a time, alternating with the soda and water mixture, and beat well.
Into another bowl, sift together the flour and spices and gradually beat the dry mixture into the egg mixture.
Add the jam and beat vigorously for 1 minute. Pour the batter into 3 greased and floured 8- or 9-inch cake pans. Bake the layers at 375 F for 20 to 25 minutes. Let the layers cool and frost the cake with the Penuche icing. Serves 14 to 16
PENUCHE ICING
3 Cups Brown Sugar
1 Cup Sugar
1-1/2 Cups Milk
6 T. Butter
2 tsps. Vanilla
In a heavy pan thoroughly combine the brown sugar, sugar, milk, and butter. Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until a candy thermometer registers 242 F to 248 F, or a firm ball forms when a small amount of syrup is dropped into ice water.
Remove the mixture from the heat, add the vanilla, and beat with an electric mixer until the icing is of spreading consistency. If the mixture starts to harden while being mixed, add a small amount of milk to thin it.
As of 5:00 PM today, I am blissfully On Vacation! and planning lots of stuff for the next week. But I wanted to run this cake recipe by the ping-list, and get opinions on it. If you know about “Jam Cake” please post!
(If you’d like to be on or off of this weekly cooking ping list, please send a private message.)
-JT
You made me hungry. I am envisioning Apricot jam, then dropping toasted sliced almonds on the penuche icing as soon as it’s slathered on the cake.
Oh, Yes!
Toasted sliced almonds - or toasted pine-nuts, in other types of recipes - make everything ‘more better’ :-)
-JT
If you can find some, that might work well too.
Mom used to make jam cookies, they were great. Dad would take 2 slices of bread, jam them together, hence the jam sandwich. A buddy of mine used to make Spam and strawberry jam sandwiches with wonder bread.
I think Spam and Strawberry Jam would bramage my dain.
-JT
Seedless raspberry?
My favorite ‘jam’ or preserve has always been Black Raspberry.
I think this cake needs something lighter, and less ‘round’...
-JT
I dunno. Raspberry rang a bell.
Maybe any jam would go with it - the Penuche is what really has my heart ;-)
-JT
This is great. I am in the process of de-cluttering my apt, and I was wondering if people would want “cook books”.
Thanks for your comment. I have a few books which have recipes that I can no longer eat. My diet is fairly restricted, and I use my NutraBullet a lot. Otherwise, most food is fresh; rarely use prepared food; low sugar (use Stevia); and meat has to be low fat .. use chicken a lot.
But, now that I’m hearing that a lot of people may be happy to see cook books at thrift stores .. I’m going to be happy to get rid of them.
Anyone know of a good (cheap) source of rye berries? I find affordable rye, but then the shipping is crazy. When I moved and lost the bulk section of Wince, I lost my source of affordable spices and grains and beans.
My neighbor gave me a bunch of sunset cookbooks and I love looking through them. I read them like others would read a newspaper or magazine.
Did you ever have fuchsia jelly? My grandmother made that when I was a kid. As I remember it it was good stuff. I haven’t seen it since she died but would like to try it again.
My La Cruesete stuff came from a thrift. I scored big time. $15 bucks for $900+ of stuff at retail. The set had some food stuck in them. Some little old lady was turning her nose up at them when I spotted them. I thanked my lucky stars when she walked off. Little soak, a little bleach and almost good as new. They are great cookware. Love my cast iron lasagna pan especially. Great for roasting, and then getting the fond from the roaster on the stove top.
My superautomatic espresso machine too. Needed a $12 part. A very nice saeco. Makes great shots with plenty of crema.
Superautomatic means put beans in slot a, put water in slot b, and then hit the button. It does what the snotty f’s at starbucks do without the lip nose ear or eyebrow piercings.
$1200 machine for $9 plus the $12 in parts.
My latest thrift find may be the best of all. An iRobot Scooba, new in box with a bad (old uncharged failed) battery since the snob that it was gifted to was apparently an idiot. Tested the unit and it passed. In addition to the $4 I spent on the unit, I splurged and got a good battery for it for $40. I swear you can eat off of my kitchen floor. Wasn’t like that before skooby do.
I’m so jealous! Enjoy your LeCrusete - I love my dutch oven.
I’m drooling. I have a recipe for penuche icing that I’ve always used on a good chocolate cake. This jam cake sounds wonderful.
Your thrift store will be happy to get them. Our local one is a charity that appears to benefit children. (You never really know ‘where the money goes’; but I always think that giving something away where it might be useful to Somebody, at least, is a lot better than throwing it away ;-)
-JT
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