Recipe: Aunt Mae's Burnt Sugar Cake with Burnt Sugar Frosting (Pioneer Lady)

AUNT MAE'S BURNT SUGAR CAKE WITH BURNT SUGAR FROSTING

3 tablespoons Burnt Sugar Syrup (recipe follows)
3 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 1/3 cups milk
1 scant tablespoon vanilla extract
4 egg whites, beaten into stiff peaks
Burnt Sugar Frosting (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottoms of two (9-inch) round cake pans with waxed paper, then grease the paper.

Make the Burnt Sugar Syrup; set aside.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt 3 times. Cream the butter; gradually add the sugar, beating until light and fluffy; set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the milk, Burnt Sugar Syrup and vanilla. Stir into the butter-sugar mixture the sifted flour alternately with the flavored milk. Lightly fold the egg whites into the batter, being careful not to decrease the batter's volume. Gently spoon into the prepared pans.

Bake until golden brown and firm to the touch, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove cake layers to a wire rack to cool completely.

BURNT SUGAR FROSTING

3 tablespoons burnt sugar syrup (recipe follows)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
A few grains of salt
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In the top of a double boiler, combine the burnt sugar syrup, sugar, cream of tartar, salt and egg whites. Place over boiling water and beat with a rotary beater for 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and continue beating 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and immediately frost and fill the cooled cake.

BURNT SUGAR SYRUP
Makes about 6 tablespoons

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup boiling water

Place sugar in a heavy-bottomed frying pan; cook over medium heat until sugar becomes a bubbly, golden-brown syrup. Remove from heat. Very carefully add 1/3 cup boiling water (the syrup will boil up). Set aside until needed.

Makes 1 (9-inch) 2-layer cake, 12 servings
Source: The Pioneer Lady's Country Christmas by Jane Watson Hopping