Now, don’t get me wrong, I like sweets. That is kind of a given. But over the years I have noticed that my love of extremely sweet things has started to shift. Things that used to satisfy my sweet tooth now just make it hurt, literally. Maybe my palette is growing up.
That is how I felt after trying the Burnt Sugar Cake from Nancie McDermott’s Southern Cakes, this month’s Cake Slice Bakers selection.
I like the concept of burning sugar to create uniform flavor throughout the cake. It was mesmerizing to watch the pile of sugar turn into a rich amber syrup. Once cooled, the syrup is added both to the cake and the frosting, infusing a richer caramel-y flavor in every bite.
My cake turned out a little on the dry side. It didn’t bake in the specified 20-25 minutes that the recipe stated, so I left them in a little longer, which probably contributed to their dryness.
For me, I got more burnt sugar taste from the frosting than the cake itself. But, as with any frostings made with confectioners’ sugar, it was tooth-achingly sweet. Yet I almost wanted just a little more frosting, just to get more of the burnt sugar flavor.
The one other thing that bothered me about this cake (and this is just being vain) is that my layer of frosting disappeared once I cut into it. I can never seem to get that thick beautiful frosting layer in my cakes. I’m guessing the dryness played a contributing factor. I guess I’ll just have to keep at it. But not with this cake. I don’t think my dentist would be too happy with that.
If you have time, wander over to The Cake Slice Bakers and check out everyone else’s creations. And here is a printable link to the recipe.
9 comments
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November 22, 2009 at 5:47 pm
jo
I guess I do have to agree with you that this cake was way too sweet. Luckily I cut down the amount of sugar from the batter – and the result was not too bad. But the frosting was another issue altogether. Maybe you could give this another try .. cut down the sugar and watch out on the baking time. But leave the frosting behind .. I think a buttercream would have tasted better!
November 29, 2009 at 8:17 am
Allison
Thanks for the buttercream suggestion Jo! I’ve filed that one away.
November 22, 2009 at 6:22 pm
steph (whisk/spoon)
what a gorgeous deco job you did! soooo sweet tho…i think your dentist would actually love it if you tried this one out again–pretty much guaranteed income for him/her! 🙂
November 22, 2009 at 11:11 pm
yael
Your cake looks beautiful! I agree with Jo- a buttercream frosting would go much better with this cake.
November 23, 2009 at 4:10 am
Alicia McCarthy
It was a very sweet cake – but I still liked it 😉
I love the pattern on the top of your cake.
November 25, 2009 at 1:00 am
Monica h
I agree with you on how sweet the fosting was but the swirls are just so pretty!
November 25, 2009 at 7:36 am
Katie
Your cake looks wonderful and I love the swirl of frosting. I agree the frosting was VERY sweet.
November 26, 2009 at 6:37 pm
Jane M.
Hi Allison–
I have noticed the same thing myself, about preferring less sweet foods as the years go by. I’m not sure what accounts for it, but I feel like it’s an interesting development. Ten years ago I don’t think I had the slightest interest in dark, bitter chocolate, for eg., but now I feel like the darker the better. Your cake in this post looks very tempting!
🙂 Jane
November 29, 2009 at 2:56 pm
Karine
Your cak sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing 🙂