Mccalls Best Spice Cake Recipes

OLD-FASHIONED SPICE CAKE

Steps:

• Before you take a step, read this recipe through. Then get out all the necessary equipment and ingredients.
• Now measure all ingredients accurately using standard measuring utensils. We can't overemphasize how important accurate measuring is.
• Start your oven at 350 (F) or moderate.
• Next, heavily grease bottoms and sides of three 8-inch cake pans with shortening (do not use any salted fat).
• Then coat pans with flour by sifting a little into each pan and shaking vigorously so there is a film of flour over bottoms and sides.
• Dump out any surplus. This device helps baked cakes to drop from pans easily.
• Sift flour, then spoon lightly into a standard measuring cup and cut off excess to make a level cupful. Do not shake flour down into cup.
• Sift flour again, this time with the baking powder, baking soda, salt, cloves, cinnamon and pepper. Right here, if your brown sugar is lumpy, sift or roll it.
• Now, with your nice clean hands, work or cream the shortening, butter or margarine with a beating motion until it looks like whipped cream.
• At this point, begin to work in the brown sugar a little at a time; next the granulated sugar.
• Add vanilla extract.
• Continue creaming until mixture is very fluffy and the grains of sugar almost disappear. This is a bit of a chore, but it's the trick that makes a wonderful texture.
• When sugar is all in, add the eggs, unbeaten, one at a time, beating hard after each addition. From here on, work fast. Don't fool around!
• Now you begin to add the flour mixture.
• Sift about 1/3 into the batter and stir it in. Do not beat.
• Then add about 1/2 of the buttermilk or sour milk and stir it in.
• Repeat these operations, ending with flour.
• Pour batter into greased pans, dividing it evenly.
• Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until cake edges leave sides of pans.
• Remove from oven, allow to cool about 5 minutes before turning out on a cake rack to cool thoroughly.

MOIST, TENDER SPICE CAKE

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour a metal or disposable foil 9-by-13-inch pan. Whisk dry ingredients and spices in a large bowl. Mix milk, eggs and vanilla extract in a 2-cup measuring cup.
• Beat softened butter into dry ingredients, first on low, then medium, until mixture forms pebble-sized pieces. Add about 1/3 of the milk mixture and beat on low until smooth. Add remaining milk mixture in two stages; beat on medium speed until batter is just smooth. Add the sugar; beat until just incorporated, about 30 seconds. Pour batter into cake pan.
• Bake until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the cake's center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Set pan on a wire rack; let cool for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the pan perimeter and turn cake onto rack. Let cool.

"PERFECT CHOCOLATE CAKE" MCCALL'S COOKING SCHOOL

Steps:

• In medium bowl, combine cocoa with boiling water, mixing with wire whisk until smooth.
• Cool completely.
• Sift flour with soda, salt and baking powder.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Grease well and lightly flour three 9 by 1 1/2 inch layer-cake pans.
• In large bowl of electric mixer, at high speed, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla, scraping bowl occasionally until light-about 5 minutes.
• At low speed, beat in flour mixture (in fourths), alternately with cocoa mixture (in thirds), beginning and ending with flour mixture. Do not overbeat.
• Divide evenly into pans;smooth top. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until surface springs back when gently pressed with fingertip.
• Cool in pans 10 minutes.
• Carefully loosen sides with spatula; 4. Remove from pans; cool on racks.
• Frosting: In medium saucepan, combine chocolate pieces,cream, butter;stir over medium heat until smooth.
• Remove from heat.
• With whisk, blend in 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar.
• In bowl set over ice(I use ice cubes) beat until it holds shape.
• 18. Filling: whip cream with sugar and vanilla;refrigerate.
• To assemble cake: On plate place a layer, top side down;spread with half of cream.
• Place second layer, top side down;spread with rest of cream.
• Place third layer, top side up. To frost: With spatula, frost sides first,covering whipped cream;use rest of frosting on top, swirling decoratively.
• Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.
• To cut, use a thin-edged sharp knife;slice with a sawing motion.
• And forget the swirls.
• I think it looks gourmet just to spread the frosting.
• It dries really dark and looks cool.
• Somethimes I just drag a sharp knife across the top in lines and sometimes I leave it as it is. From McCall's Cooking School.