Southern Nut Cake Recipes

SOUTHERN NUT CAKE

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack 1/3 the way up from the bottom. Preheat oven to 325°. Butter a 10 by 4 inch tube pan (like an angel food cake pan). Line the bottom with wax or parchment paper. Butter the paper and dust all over with fine bread crumbs.
• Break or cut the nuts into large pieces. They should NOT be finely chopped. Place them in the largest bowl you have.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, mace and salt. Set aside. Combine the milk and brandy or bourbon. Set aside.
• In an electric mixer, cream the butter. Add the sugar and beat for a few minutes, scraping the bowl as necessary. On moderate speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating until thoroughly incorporated after each egg and scraping the bowl when necessary to keep everything well mixed. Increase speed and beat until light and fluffy- about 3 minutes. The batter may look curdled at this point- that's OK.
• On lowest speed alternately add the sifted dry ingredients in three additions with the milk mixture in two, scraping the bowl as necessary with the spatula and beating only until smooth after each addition.
• Pour the batter over the nuts. Stir with a large wooden spoon until the nuts are all coated with the batter. Turn into the prepared pan and level the top.
• Bake for 1 ¾ hours or until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from the oven and place the cake pan on a rack. Generously sprinkle or brush the brandy or bourbon on top of the hot cake. Let cake cool in the pan for about 20 minutes.
• Cover the cake with a rack and invert to remove pan and paper. Cover with another rack and carefully invert again to cool. It's better if it sits for 24 hours before cutting.

FRANKLIN NUT CAKE

Steps:

• Cream butter and sugar. Add beaten eggs and 3 cups flour with baking powder and salt added. Mix remaining 1 cup of flour with chopped nuts and chopped candied fruits. Mix into batter and add vanilla. Grease, flour, and line a large tube pan. Pour mixture into pan. Bake at 250 for 3 hours. Let cool for an hour. Remove from pan and place in a covered container with a glass of sherry, so the cake and wine "get to know each other". Let sit for 4 days until the sherry flavor permeates the cake. Slice thin.

GRANDMA'S HICKORY NUT CAKE

Steps:

• Cream together sugar and butter for cake. Add eggs; beat on medium speed of mixer for 2 minutes. Mix dry ingredients together lightly with fork. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk. Mix well. Stir in vanilla and nuts. Pour into greased 13x9-in. baking pan. , Bake at 325° for 45-50 minutes. (Cake may be baked in 8-in. layer pans.) Cool. Make frosting by melting butter in a medium saucepan. Add brown sugar; boil 2 minutes. Add milk; bring to boil. Remove from heat; cool to lukewarm. Beat in sugar and vanilla. (May add chopped hickory nuts, 1/2 cup if desired.) Frost cake.

OLD DOMINION NUT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 275°F.
• Coat raisins and nuts with flour and set aside.
• Cream butter and sugar, then add eggs one at a time.
• Add molasses and spices, then add floured nuts and raisins.
• (Note: if not using raisins you may wish to add extra nuts) Last add whiskey and soda mixture.
• Bake in large bundt pan lined with waxed paper for 3 to 3 ½ hours over a pan of water set on the oven floor.
• Keeps for weeks wrapped in aluminum foil.
• For a Christmas cake that will last even longer wrap cake in cheesecloth dampened with Bourbon and then in foil and store in a cool place. Check Cheese cloth at least once a week and dampen again as needed.