Taste of the South Southern Cakes 2016

WHAT’S THE FIRST CAKE YOU REMEMBER? Mine was a birthday cake—made from scratch and decorated by my mother. Actually, it was a Darth Vader birthday cake. My mother was a genius with a pastry bag; give her a pattern and a rainbow of Wilton food dyes, and she’d pipe out a meticulous masterpiece. (Looking back, that cake had an alarming amount of black icing.) But what I remember most fondly, and have adopted into my own cake baking tradition, are the sweet rewards along the way. Mom always did (and still does!) sneak a taste of the butter and sugar after it was properly fluffed together. And she always saved me a batter-dipped beater. Whether you love the process or the finished product, we’ve gathered a collection of recipes that will spark your favorite…

Much like pound cake, the 1-2-3-4 cake gets its name from the proportions of its base ingredients: one cup of butter, two cups of sugar, three cups of flour, four eggs. It’s so straightforward, you may not even have to write it down—making it easy to impress friends and family with, oh, just a little something you whipped up. Makes 1 (9-inch) cake 1 cup unsalted butter, softened 2 cups (370 grams) granulated sugar 4 large eggs 3 cups (384 grams) cake flour 1 tablespoon (12 grams) baking powder 1 cup milk 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour 2 (9-inch) round cake pans. (You can use baking spray with flour.) 2. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with a mixer at medium speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs, one…

STRAWBERRY-BUTTERMILK LAYER CAKE Makes 1 (9-inch) cake 1 cup unsalted butter, softened 1⅔ cups sugar 1 (3-ounce) box strawberry gelatin* 4 large eggs 3 cups self-rising flour 1 cup whole buttermilk ½ cup finely chopped fresh strawberries 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Strawberry-Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows) Garnish: fresh strawberries 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray 2 (9-inch) round deep cake pans with baking spray with flour. Line bottoms of pans with parchment paper, and spray again. 2. In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar, and gelatin with a mixer at medium speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour, beating just until combined after each addition. Add…

BLUEBERRY CUPCAKES Makes 20 Cupcakes: 1 (16.25-ounce) box white cake mix* 1½ cups water ⅓ cup vegetable oil 3 large egg whites Filling: 4 large egg yolks ⅓ cup sugar ½ cup unsalted butter, melted 1 (13-ounce) jar blueberry preserves ⅔ cup finely chopped pecans ½ teaspoon orange zest 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice Orange Cream Cheese Icing (recipe follows) 1. For cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°. Line 20 muffin cups with paper liners. 2. In a large bowl, beat cake mix, 1½ cups water, oil, and egg whites with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups. 3. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes; remove from pan, and let cool completely on wire racks. 4. For filling: In a large saucepan, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and…

MISSISSIPPI MUD CAKE Makes 10 to 12 servings 1 cup unsalted butter, melted 2 cups sugar ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 3 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon salt 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 cups toasted pecans, chopped and divided 1 (10.5-ounce) bag miniature marshmallows Warm Chocolate Glaze (recipe follows) 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 13x9-inch baking pan with baking spray with flour. 2. In a large bowl, combine melted butter, sugar, cocoa, eggs, vanilla, and salt. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until combined. Gradually add flour, beating to combine. Stir in 1 cup pecans. Spread batter in prepared pan. 3. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven; top warm cake with marshmallows. Return to oven, and bake until marshmallows are lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes.…