A not-so-subtle voice in my head screamed, “Stop what you are doing right now and go directly into the kitchen.” Get the book! Cake, I Love You: Decadent, Delectable, and Do-Able Recipes by Jill O’Connor As it happened, I needed something to take to a friend’s house for supper that night, so out came the mixer and the cake pan. Salt and caramel and pecans! I was all over that, and so was my host that night. Her parting words to me at the end of the evening: “Sally, do not ever, ever make that cake again and bring it to my house. I will eat the whole thing at one sitting.” Jill O’Connor is no slouch. Cake, I Love You! is only the most recent of at least seven books this master baker has written – not to mention her recipes for Fine Cooking, Bon Appetit, Better Homes and Gardens and House Beautiful magazines. The relatively small size (171 pages of 50 recipes) of Cake, I Love You! belies the hidden trove of information packed between the covers. Jill supplies you with all you need to be a successful cake baker: advice on equipment, special tools and the best ingredients along with lots of tips on how to build a better cake. Do you know why many cake recipes call for room temperature eggs? Or how to split, fill, stack and frost cake layers for a beautiful finish? And if you don’t know what a crumb coat is, Jill explains that too. This is all good news for the novice and experienced baker alike. The organizing principal behind the book is seven different flavor profiles: Banana, Coconut, Chocolate, Caramel and Butterscotch, Citrus, Spirits and Spice, Garden and Orchard, with advice and recipes for squeezing the best results from each flavor. Can’t decide where to start? Look for a “crowd-pleaser” icon next to the recipe – these icons indicate a classic and iconic cake that you’ll want to make again and again. After making the Salted Pecan Cake, I can’t wait to try Brown Butter Banana Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting, Black Irish Chocolate-Whisky Cake and Pastel de Tres Leches. And I will also surely make a few loaf cakes for gift giving. I’ve already tried the Kona Coconut Loaf (splendid) and look forward to Luscious Lemon Loaf and Blood Orange Ricotta Pound Cake. I also want to make Jill’s version of Old-Fashioned Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake with Melted Chocolate Bar Frosting again. This has been a favorite of mine for decades and my go-to birthday cake, but I’ll bet that Jill’s tweaks have brought it to new heights. Recently I discovered the power of cake as an expression of thanks. An acquaintance did me a huge favor, and I wracked my brain to find a way to thank her. A cake on a plate (a nice one from a thrift shop that she could keep), wrapped in cellophane and tied with a ribbon, was a surprisingly well-received way to express my gratitude. Now I have a whole new volume of recipes to choose from to please guests, family and favor-givers. I think I’ll stick with my first impulse: Open the book at random and march into the kitchen. That’s a no-risk strategy. And that’s why I love you, Cake, I Love You! Reprinted with permission from Cake, I Love You by Jill O’Connor (Chronicle Books, 2017)
1/2 cup (110g) salted butter 1 cup (200g) firmly packed golden brown sugar 3 tablespoons golden syrup (or light corn syrup) 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon bourbon (optional) 1 cup (120g) chopped pecans, toasted
For the cake:
1 1/2 cups (150g) sifted cake flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 1/2 cup (110g) unsalted butter, at room temperature 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar 1/4 cup (50g) firmly packed golden brown sugar 2 large eggs 2 tablespoons golden syrup 2/3 cup (160g) sour cream 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon Maldon (flaky) sea salt
Decrease the heat to medium and stir until the sugar melts and starts to bubble. Quickly move on to the next step. (Boiling for more than a minute will result in caramel that will harden on the cake and be difficult to slice.) Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla, bourbon (if using), and pecans. Pour immediately into the prepared pan, using a small spatula to spread in an even layer. Set aside. In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer set at medium speed, beat together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat in the golden syrup, sour cream, and vanilla. With a rubber or silicone spatula, fold in the flour mixture by hand just until the batter is combined and no streaks of white remain. Spoon the batter into the pan with the topping, smoothing it evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle the Maldon sea salt over the top of the cake. Serve the cake warm, cut into thick wedges.
