Sarah Polk’s Hickory Nut Cake

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Ingrediënten

Makes: 12 To 16 Servings

  • Butter and flour for prepping the pan
  • 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs separated
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 cup whole milk or half-and-half
  • 1 cup chopped hickory nuts see Cake Note
  • ½ teaspoon pure almond extract if desired
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract if desired (see Cake Note)

Instructies

  • Place a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • Lightly butter and flour a 10″ tube pan, and shake out the excess flour.
  • Set the pan aside.
  • Place the butter in a large mixing bowl, and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy, 1 minute.
  • Add the sugar, a couple of tablespoons at a time, beating on medium until light and creamy, 2 minutes.
  • Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating until combined.
  • Set aside.
  • Place the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl and sift to combine.
  • Set aside.
  • Place the egg whites in a large mixing bowl and, with clean beaters, beat on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 4 minutes.
  • Set aside.
  • Stir the lemon juice into the milk.
  • Alternately add the flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture in 3 additions, beating on low speed just to combine.
  • Beat in the hickory nuts and extracts, if desired, on low speed until combined.
  • By hand, fold the beaten egg whites into the batter, just until combined.
  • Turn the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and place the pan in the oven.
  • Bake the cake until it is golden brown and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, 55 to 60 minutes.
  • Remove the cake from the oven, and place the pan on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes.
  • Run a knife around the edges of the pan, give the pan a gentle shake, then invert the cake onto the rack to cool, right side up, for 30 minutes.
  • Slice and serve.

Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:

Cake Note:

Although vanilla extract was available after 1847, it still might have been a rare ingredient for the home baker. And almond extract would have been extravagant. Therefore, this cake would have been baked without them in the mid- to late 1800s. Extracts are a nice addition today, however, as just a little almond extract brings out the nuttiness in the hickory nuts. Do not use more than ½ teaspoon or it will overpower the delicacy of the rare hickory nuts, which can be purchased online or at farmers’ markets.
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Recipe Category Cake / Nuts
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