VCE -- Yeasted Sugar Cake

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* Exported from MasterCook *

 

Yeasted Sugar Cake

 

Recipe By :

Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00

Categories : Desserts

 

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

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The Cake:

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast -- (1 envelope)

1/4 cup sugar

2 cups flour -- plus extra for the counter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup warm milk

2 eggs -- at room temperature

4 tablespoons butter -- at room temperature

The Topping:

2 tablespoons butter -- softened

1/4 cup light brown or white sugar

 

Stir the yeast and 1 teaspoon of the sugar into 1/4 cup warm water in a small

bowl and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Combine the flour, remaining

sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the yeast, milk, and eggs and beat until

smooth. Add the butter and beat vigorously until the batter is silky. Scrape

down the sides, then cover and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes

 

Lightly butter a 9-inch tart pan or cake pan. Stir down the dough, turn it onto

a lightly floured counter and gently shape it into a disk. Set it in the pan and

flatten it with your hands. Rub the softened butter all over the top, then cover

with the sugar, using all of it. Let rise for 30 minutes. during the last 15

minutes, preheat the oven to 400°F.

 

Bake the cake in the center of the oven until well risen and the sugar has begun

to melt and brown, about 25 minutes. The surface should be covered with cracks.

When done, let it cool briefly, then unmold and serve, still a little warm, with

fruit and softly whipped cream.

 

Variations: Add 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest to the batter along with 1/2

teaspoon vanilla extract or 1/2 teaspoon crushed anise seeds. A half cup of

finely ground almonds and a drop of almond extract are also good additions.

 

 

 

 

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 162 Calories; 7g Fat (39.2% calories from

fat); 4g Protein; 21g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 48mg Cholesterol; 162mg

Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 1/2 Fat; 1/2

Other Carbohydrates.

 

NOTES : Covered with a cracked sugar crust, this cake is fragrant with butter —

yet it uses far less than most cakes. And although it's made with yeast, the

rising time is brief. I love this cake at any time of day, with raspberries,

with fruit compotes of all kinds, and in place of shortcake with strawberries

and cream.

 

Review from Epicurious:

 

Overall: A real winner. This recipe yielded a beautiful and delicious cake that

will have you brewing tea or black coffee to go with it. But until it came out

of the oven, I had no idea if the recipe was going to work because the dough was

so much wetter than other yeast doughs I've worked with.

 

Equipment: Don't even try it without a dough scraper.

 

Ingredients: Madison says you'll need extra flour for the counter. Indeed, the

looseness of the dough made me use so much extra flour — almost 1/2 cup — that I

was sure I had made a mistake somewhere. I hadn't, but I worried a bit.

 

I heated the milk in the microwave for 20 seconds to bring it to a nice body

temperature. And I used white sugar, not brown, for the topping (I can't imagine

that brown would be better).

 

Procedure: The writing was clear, but nothing was quite as I expected. I could

have used descriptions of what the batter should look and feel like at different

stages. Here's what happened for me:

• When I finished mixing the dough, it was like thick, stretchable pancake

batter.

• After 45 minutes covered with a dishcloth in a turned-off oven, it had

risen some, but definitely hadn't doubled.

• When I turned it out on the counter to shape it, I needed lots more

flour (noted above), and never did manage to shape it into a disk;

instead, I scooped it into the pan and stretched it to fill the space.

• Finally, there was no way to brush the top with softened butter (the

dough was too liquidy), so I cut the butter into bits, and dotted them

all over the surface. It was a complete surprise to me that this cake turned out

as well as it did.

 

—Irene Sax

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