In our internet age, recipes on index cards are replaced by their online, virtual version.
It does not mean we want to turn the computer on while cooking and this led the Sugar Mommas to select a number of baking recipes to be couched on paper for their book Sugar Sugar (Andrews McMeel Publishing, Fall 2011)
The Sugar Mommas duo consists of Kimberly "Momma" Reiner (a lawyer turned fudge queen) and Jenna Sanz-Agero (a lawyer turned big hair glam rock band singer with Vixen) which goes to show that all roads lead to cookbook writing.
Scrumdilliumptious White Chocolate Cake
Submitted by Shawn Jones
From Ruth Hutchison’s recipe, Obion, Tennessee, or Bunny Hampton’s recipe, Sweetwater, Texas
Like many family treasures, this heirloom recipe comes with a dispute over origin and ownership. It’s not clear whether it belonged to Shawn’s aunt Bunny or her great-grandmother Ruth “Mom” Hutchison. Everyone in the family has a different recollection. In this case, you just throw up your hands and say, “Unsolved mystery, but it tastes darn good!”
Shawn has fond memories of visiting Aunt Bunny in Sweetwater, Texas. “No one could tell a story better than Bunny.” This recipe always reminds Shawn of Aunt Bunny’s hilarious tales of her twin brothers (one of which is Shawn’s dad) playing cowboys and Indians, and mistaking her closet for the bathroom in the middle of the night, or of how her rescue dog got the fancy name of guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. The controversial New Age mystic and spiritual leader was known for a large collection of vehicles and other worldly possessions. Nicknames were not tolerated, as Bunny believed abbreviating her dog’s name was sacrilegious. Bunny said she loved her dog, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, so much that when she passed away she was leaving everything she owned to the dog. No matter where the cake derived from, it is chic, beautiful, and tasty, and would be lovely for any occasion, from a hillside picnic in Napa Valley to a wedding at the Plaza Hotel in New York City.
Scrumdilliumptious White Chocolate Cake
Makes 1 (9-inch) round layer cake
½ cup water
1¹⁄³ cups white chocolate chips
½ cup water
4 large eggs, separated
2½ cups cake flour (see Sugar Mommas Note)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut (optional)
1 cup chopped pecans or almonds (optional)
1 batch of Scrumdilliumptious White Fudge Glaze (recipe follows)
Diamond-studded dog collar
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour three 9-inch round cake pans (or use nonstick baking spray with flour) and set aside.
In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the water to a boil. Decrease the heat to low, add the white chocolate chips, and stir constantly until completely melted. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool.
Place the egg whites in a medium bowl. Using a handheld electric mixer, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 4 minutes. Set aside. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder and set aside.
Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs yolks, one at a time, mixing until each is incorporated. Add the melted chocolate and mix on low speed until blended. Add half of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Add the buttermilk. Add the remaining flour mixture and blend until just combined. Add the vanilla. Use a spatula to gently fold in the stiff egg whites. Stir in the coconut and/or chopped nuts, if desired.
Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool the cakes in the pans on top of wire racks for 10 minutes, then carefully turn the cakes
out onto the wire racks and let cool completely.
Place one cooled cake layer upside down on a serving platter and pour about one-quarter of the glaze over the top, spreading evenly with a knife or an angled spatula. Place the middle layer upside down on top of the bottom layer and spread another one-quarter of the glaze over it. Place the third cake layer right side up on top of the second layer and complete the glazing of the top and sides.
Scrumdilliumptious White Fudge Glaze
¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter, at room temperature
3 cups granulated sugar
¾ cup whole milk
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Place the butter, sugar, milk, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a rolling boil. Boil for 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Let cool without stirring. When the mixture is cool, beat until it is thick enough to spread (a handheld electric mixer on medium speed works well for this purpose).
Sugar Mommas Tips
sugar mommas note: You may use all-purpose flour, but we recommend Swans Down cake flour.
sass it up: We like to fancy up our cakes and make them look extravagant. Leave the sides bare and insert big, plump fresh raspberries or halved strawberries in between the layers on top of the frosting. Then add a ring of berries on the top edge of the frosted cake. This makes for a very impressive presentation.
(*From Sugar, Sugar: Every Recipe Has a Story by Kimberly “Momma” Reiner and Jenna Sanz-Agero/Andrews McMeel Publishing, Fall 2011, All Rights Reserved)