Spice Cake with Creamy Caramel Icing

By MarieR

It's fun finding old recipes that have little comments written on them by the baker. When I saw "good one" notated on this spice cake recipe, I had to try it. I love the light texture of this cake, which is due to a mixing technique called the "high-ratio method." You combine the shortening with all of the dry ingredients — not just the sugar — to create a finer crumb.

Ingredients

• 2 cups cake flour, sifted
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup unsulphured molasses
• 2 large eggs
• Creamy Caramel Icing, recipe follows
• Creamy Caramel Icing, makes 2 cups
• WORK: 15 MIN TOTAL: 15 MIN
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp shortening
• 1/4 cup hot milk plus 1/2 cup cold milk
• 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp light corn syrup
• 2 cups light brown sugar

Preparation

Step 1

1 Heat oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment; set aside.
2 In a mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, shortening, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, baking soda and baking powder.
3 In a separate bowl stir together milk, molasses and eggs. Add to dry ingredients and mix on medium speed, about 2 min.
4 Pour batter into prepared pans and bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 27 to 30 min. Let cool.
5 Spread 1/4 cup Creamy Caramel Icing on one cake layer, then top with second layer. Frost entire cake. SERVES 10 T0 12

Creamy Caramel Icing
WORK: 15 MIN TOTAL: 15 MIN
1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp shortening
1/4 cup hot milk plus 1/2 cup cold milk
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp light corn syrup
2 cups light brown sugar
•1 Combine 1/3 cup shortening, 1/4 cup hot milk, confectioners' sugar,and vanilla and beat until smooth, about 2 min.
2 Boil together 1 tbsp shortening, 1/2 cup cold milk, corn syrup and brown sugar until temperature reaches 235°F (soft-ball stage) on a candy thermometer, about 10 min. Pour over shortening mixture and beat until smooth and creamy, about 2 min. If icing isn't smooth enough, add 1 tbsp hot water. MAKES 2 CUPS