Recipe: Philadelphia Butter Cake - 4 recipes (yeast dough)

PHILADELPHIA GERMAN BUTTER CAKE

DOUGH (Makes two 9 x 13 inch cakes):
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. Crisco shortening
1/4 tsp. salt
1 ex.-lg. egg
1 env. active dry yeast
1/2 c. warm milk
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. vanilla

TOPPING:
2 sticks butter, softened
2/3 c. flour
2 c. sugar
2 ex.-lg. eggs
5 tbsp. milk

Prepare Dough:
Mix sugar with Crisco and salt. Add egg and beat with mixer one minute. Dissolve yeast in warm milk. Add flour, then milk-yeast mixture and vanilla to dough batter. Mix 3 minutes with dough hook or by hand. Turn dough onto floured board; knead 1 minute. Place in lightly greased bowl 1/2 of dough recipe, and cover with towel and set in warm place to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled. Refrigerate other half up to 1 week.

Prepare Topping:
Cream butter. Stir together flour and sugar. Gradually beat sugar mixture into butter. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well. Add milk gradually until all ingredients are well-blended. Use as directed above. Set aside until dough is ready.

Roll out or pat dough to fit 9 x 13 inch well-greased pan. Crimp edges halfway up sides to hold topping in. When dough is spread, prick dough with fork to prevent bubbling. Spread topping over dough. Let cake stand 20 minutes.

Bake at 375 degrees for 21 minutes. Topping should be crusty but gooey.

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PHILADELPHIA BUTTER CAKE

FOR THE DOUGH:
2 med. white potatoes
1/2 c. warm water
2 pkgs. yeast
1/2 c. potato water & milk combined, see directions
1 tsp. salt
2 well beaten eggs
1/4 lb. butter
1/4 lb. lard or shortening
1 c. sugar
3 c. unbleached flour + just enough more to make a soft dough
FOR THE TOPPING:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup flour
6 ounces butter
2 well-beaten eggs
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 to 4 tablespoons milk

Pare and cut the potatoes in half. Place in saucepan and just barely cover with water. Boil rapidly until very tender. Strain off water and to it add enough scalded milk to measure 1/2 cup. Sprinkle yeast into the 1/2 cup of warm water (not the milk-water). Stir in 1 tablespoon of the sugar.

Mash potatoes and beat in warm milk-potato water mixture. When this is lukewarm, add and blend yeast mixture into it.

Combine butter and lard and beat to make creamy. Gradually beat in remainder of sugar, the salt and the beaten eggs, until the mixture is very light. Then by large spoonfuls beat this into the yeast mixture. Now, a little at a time, begin to beat in the 3 cups of flour. When well beaten in, add just enough more flour to make a soft dough that will not stick to the sides of the bowl. One cup should do it. Depend on beating and kneading rather than extra flour to give it stiffness. Allow not less than 10 minutes for this part of the mixing.

Grease a clean mixing bowl with butter on oil. Place dough in it and turn over at once so top comes up greased. Cover with a heavy towel, well wrung out in warm water. Set in a sheltered place to rise to double, punch down and let rise again.

While it rises, butter a deep oblong pan. It should be at least 2" deep. You may use one or two pans, depends on what's on hand.*

When dough has risen the second time, turn out on floured board and roll with floured rolling pin to make 1/2" thick. Place in the prepared pan(s), punching out toward the corners. Cover and let rise again until double in height.

Meanwhile prepare the topping: Sift sugar, flour and salt. Beat butter to cream it and then gradually beat in the sugar mixture. When light, slowly beat in the eggs and vanilla. Then gradually add just enough milk to make it possible to spread. Spread the topping mixture gently over the risen dough.

Place in preheated 375 degree F oven and bake until nicely browned; 35 to 45 minutes.

*NOTE: Please be careful about the depth of the pan, the topping will bubble off if not deep enough. Allow for extra rising in the oven.

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PHILADELPHIA BUTTER CAKE

"This makes a large, coffeecake type of cake. The topping melts into it as it bakes and the actual top should be crisp but very moist and "goo-ey" underneath."

DOUGH:
2 med. sized white potatoes
3/4 c. water from cooked potatoes
1/4 c. warm water
1 c. plus 1 tsp. sugar
2 pkgs. active dry yeast (or crumbled yeast cakes)
1/4 c. butter
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs, well beaten
Enough flour to make a soft dough
(about 3 1/2 c.)
TOPPING:
3/4 c. butter
1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 c. extra fine granulated sugar
2 eggs
Milk

Scrub, peel, and place potatoes in small saucepan. Cover generously with water and boil rapidly until potatoes are very tender. Drain, saving water. You will need 3/4 cup. If you do not heave enough, add additional hot water to make up that amount. Mash potatoes through a ricer.

Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water to which 1 teaspoon sugar has been added. Beat butter to cream it. A little at a time, beat in remaining cup sugar and salt, then eggs. Stir the 3/4 cup potato water into mashed potatoes, then add to egg mixture. Stir in yeast mixture. When well mixed, add 1 cup flour, beating constantly. Do not spare the beating. Add the second and third cups of flour the same way, small amounts at a time. Be sure to beat hard to make the gluten in the flour wake up and try not to have to add that last half cup. The dough should not be too stiff. Place a damp cloth (not wet, just damp) over bowl with dough and let rise. If you refrigerate it during this rest period, it will become firmer and still will rise to double in bulk but it will take a little more time. It is far better to allow a little more time for the rising than to try to stiffen the dough with extra flour.

Generously butter a deep oblong cake pan large enough for the cake to rise without topping, spilling off.

When dough has doubled, thump it down and turn it out onto lightly floured surface. Sprinkle top lightly with flour and roll out with floured rolling pin to only a little more than 1/2 inch thickness and as close to the rectangular shape of the pan as you can. Place it in pan, punching it out towards sides and corners. Cover and let rise in warm place out of drafts (the unheated oven is about the best place for this in most kitchens) until doubled.

To make the topping: Beat butter to cream it. Sift together flour and sugar, a little at a time; beat into butter mixture. Add eggs, one at a time, beating each in thoroughly. By teaspoonfuls, add enough milk to make mixture the right consistency to spread (this could require 3 or 4 tablespoons of milk but don't get it too runny). Gently spread over risen dough.

Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 35 to 40 minutes until done. Cool in pan before cutting.

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REAL PHILADELPHIA BUTTER CAKE

DOUGH:
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1/4 vegetable shortening
1/4 tsp. salt
1 lg. egg
1 env. active dry yeast
1/2 c. warm milk
2 1/2 c. flour
1 tbsp. vanilla
TOPPING:
1/2 lb. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2/3 c. flour
2 c. extra fine sugar
2 extra lg. eggs
4-5 tbsp. milk

Prepare dough by mixing sugar with shortening and salt. Add egg and beat with mixer 1 minute.

Dissolve yeast in warm milk. Add flour, then yeast-milk mixture and vanilla to sugar mix. Mix 3 minutes with dough hook or by hand. Turn onto floured board; knead 1 minute. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a towel and set in a warm place to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled.

Meanwhile, prepare topping. Cream butter, mix together flour and sugar. Gradually beat sugar mixture into butter. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. By the teaspoonful, add milk to bring mixture to an easy spreading consistency, being careful not to make it too runny.

Divide dough in 2. Roll or pat to fit two well greased 8 inch square pans, or one 9 x 13 inch pan (2 is best). Crimp edges half way up pan to hold topping. When dough is spread, prick well with a fork to prevent bubbling. Divide topping between pans, spread over the dough. Let cakes sit for 20 minutes.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes or until done. Do not overbake. Topping will be crusty but gooey. Let cool before cutting.