Recipe: Burnt Sugar Cake (Softasilk Contest Winner)

BURNT SUGAR CAKE
Winning Cake Recipe of Mary Dahlquist
Softasilk Championship Cake Award Contest Winner
Pauyallup, Wa. Septemer 14, 2002

FOR THE BURNT SUGAR SYRUP:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
FOR THE BURNT SUGAR CAKE:
2 1/2 cups sifted Softasilk cake flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3 tablespoons burnt sugar syrup
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup 2% milk
FOR THE FROSTING:
1 pound powdered cane sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup burnt sugar syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
enough milk for thinning

TO PREPARE THE BURNT SUGAR SYRUP:
Prepare burnt sugar syrup by melting sugar in heavy skillet or saucepan. Stir in water. The syrup will solidify when you add water. Don't worry! Just let it melt. This syrup is sufficient for cake and frosting.

TO PREPARE THE CAKE:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 (9-inch) layer cake pans.

Sift flour and measure. Add baking powder and salt and sift again.

Cream butter and sugar. Blend in egg yolks and vanilla. Add milk and syrup alternately with dry ingredients.

Beat egg whites stiff and fold into batter. Pour into prepared cake pans.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 35-40 minutes or until done. Allow cooling on wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from pans.

TO PREPARE THE FROSTING:
Beat frosting ingredients together with electric mixer until smooth and creamy. (Add a few drips of milk if it is too thick to spread.)

Frost center, sides, and top of 2-layer cake.