There is no child in the world, or maybe there are few, that don't like candy - which is the reason why caramel-flavored desserts are potentially loved by all. The most obvious selection is caramel-topped icecream but, speaking of historic recipes, caramel pudding is generally the first that comes to mind. Before I share my version of caramel pudding, here is a simple recipe for layered caramel cake.
Caramel cake is also known as Southern cake in the U.S. but while the association is obvious (the influence of French haute cuisine on the French colonies), I haven't found an early recipe in the American cookbooks I usually peruse. However, caramelized sugar was popular with French chefs since at least the 17th century. François Massialot, renowned cookbook author during the reign of Louis XVI, dedicated entire sections of his Nouvelle instruction pour les confitures, les liqueurs, les fruits (1715) to caramelized sugar and the process of wrapping fruit in caramel. 150 years later, the painter Edgar Degas spent two years in New Orleans, capital of the French colony that was named after the Sun King while the city itself was named after Philippe II Duke of Orleans, nephew of Louis XIV and son of Philippe I, also Duke of Orleans, who was especially fond of candy...
To re-create caramel cake around the time Degas visited his own brother and family in the American South, I gathered recipes from 19th and early 20th century authors. Although Southern cake is basically a one-layer cake, I divided the base horizontally and filled the layers with buttercream - then glazed the upper layer with caramelized sugar - ending up in a glorious dessert.
PASTA MARGHERITA
This is a very plain cake that Pellegrino Artusi learnt how to make by courtesy of his good friend Antonio Mattei of Prato. I chose it because it's fluffy although most of the sponge cakes by the Italian gourmet would be ideal as base for caramel cake
"576. Pasta Margherita
... Farina di patate, grammi 120. Zucchero, in polvere, grammi 120. Uova, N. 4. Agro di un limone. Sbattete prima ben bene i rossi d'uovo collo zucchero, aggiungete la farina
e il succo di limone e lavorate per più di mezz'ora il tutto. Montate per
ultimo le chiare, unitele al resto mescolando con delicatezza per non
ismontar la fiocca. Versate il composto in uno stampo liscio e rotondo,
ossia in una teglia proporzionata, imburrata e spolverizzata di zucchero a
velo e farina, e mettetela subito in forno. Sformatela diaccia e
spolverizzatela di zucchero a velo vanigliato."
La scienza in cucina e l'arte di mangiar bene (1891)
BUTTERCREAM
Compiled and adapted from the 35th edition of the original, the English version of Henriette Davidis' Praktisches Kochbuch is a reliable source for 19th century German recipes. Buttercream was not yet officially introduced to European cuisines in 1845, when Hernietta's best-seller was first published, but the German variation has much in common with vanilla pudding/custard, for which Davidis offered lovely recipes.
"Vanilla Cream
1
quart of cream or sweet milk, a piece of butter, the yolks of 11 eggs, 1
tablespoonful of cornstarch, 3 ounces of sugar, a little vanilla and a
little salt. After
the cream and sugar have been heated, stir the yolks of the eggs, the
vanilla and the dissolved cornstarch with the milk and whip until just
before it boils; pour into a dish, whip for a few minutes longer so that
there will be no crust on top."
More sophisticated kinds of
buttercream (the French, Italian, Swiss variations) gained popularity at
the end of the long century as fillings to layered cakes, including Dobos, Esterházy and sometimes Black Forest cake. A drawback of German butterceam is that
after freezing and de-freezing, part of the
milk-based cream will turn into liquid so beware. Otherwise it's the least complicated to make: a dose of crème pâtissière
is simply mixed with cubed butter at room temperature.
CARAMEL
Although caramelized sugar was occasionally used in 18th century recipes, it was not until the next century that fillings and frostings by that name appeared in cookbooks. Most depended heavily on cream but there were few variations that used just sugar and water. Another simple version was introduced by József Dobos: the famous Hungarian cake that bears his name is glazed with a mixture of sugar, water, lemon juice and butter. The following recipes by two well-known American cookbook writers are quick enough to make.
"Caramel sauce
1 cup of granulated sugar, 1 cup of water - Put the sugar into an iron saucepan, stir with a wooden spoon oven a quick fire until the sugar melts and turns in amber color, then add the water, let boil two minutes, and turn out to cool."
Mrs Rorer's Philadelphia Cookbook (1886)
"Brown Sugar 7-Minute Frosting
Mix 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 egg white, 3tbsp. water. Place in top of double boiler. Have boiling water in bottom of double boiler so that it will come up on the sides of top. Keep water boiling. Beat for 7 minutes. Then set aside for 5 minutes and then if mixture is not cool or stiff enough to spread beat until of right consistency. 1/2tsp. vanilla added after cooking improves flavor."
Ruth Wakefield's Toll house tried and true recipes (1936)
SOUTHERN CARAMEL CAKE
In the following version, the base is pasta margherita by Pellegrino Artusi (increased by 50%); the filling is vanilla cream by Henrietta Davidis (with extra butter); and the glazing is a cross between Mrs. Rorer's caramel sauce and Ruth Graves Wakefield's brown sugar 7-minute frosting (using a minimum of water).
I n g r e d i e n t s
for the 'pasta margherita':
180g cornflour
180g powdered sugar
1tbsp lemon zest
6 eggs, separated
for the German buttercream:
200ml heavy cream
500ml full milk
8 egg yolks
50g cornflour
1tbsp vanilla sugar
115g butter (at room temperature)
for the caramel glazing:
100g unrefined sugar
1tsp blackstrap molasses
3tbsp water
M e t h o d
1. For the 'pasta margherita': Preheat the oven to 180oC. Line four 20cm round baking tins with greased parchment paper. Beat the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and the egg whites in another. Combine the mixtures with a spoon, alternating with batches of cornflour and lemon zest. Divide among the prepared baking tins and bake for 15-20 minutes, switching rack positions halfway through baking. Transfer the cakes onto wire racks and leave to cool. 2. For the German buttercream: Whisk the egg yolks, cornflour and sugars in a bowl. Stir in the cream and pour into a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Heat very gently, adding the milk little by little. Stir in the butter, cubed, when the mixture reaches boiling point. Remove from the heat and leave to cool - stirring from time to time in order to thoroughly incorporate the butter. 3. To assemble: Place the first layer of cake on a serving dish, with a cake ring around. Spread 1/3 of the buttercream on top and repeat with two more layers of cake and two of buttercream. Top with the fourth layer of cake. 4. For the caramel glazing: Heat very gently the sugar and water in a non-stick pan. Add the molasses, stir, and cook until bubbles are formed. Quickly remove the cake ring and pour the glazing over the entire cake.
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