Jefferson Davis Cake, an alternative from the Southern Chess Cake, is among the most wealthy and decadent pies you'll ever eat. It consists of dates, raisins, and pecans, spices, as well as an insanely creamy custard.
Should you remember your history, Jefferson Davis was the very first President from the Confederacy. Jefferson Davis Cake are available in many southern cookbooks dating back the late 1800s, however, you’ll seldom view it any longer. It certainly falls underneath the group of antique and forgotten recipes. Actually, it was the very first time I've ever had one. However it won’t function as the last. It's a fabulously scrumptious cake also it’s unfortunate that it's no more popular.
There’s not a great deal of information on the origination of Jefferson Davis Cake. It’s history appears happen to be forgotten combined with the cake. Should you google Jefferson Davis Cake you’ll see recipes having a meringue, with no meringue and a few with no raisins, dates, and pecans. I’m okay with shedding the meringue, however it appears that it's the dried fruit and nuts which makes this cake special.
Now, should you’re much like me you’re most likely thinking, raisins and dates? Not my concept of a scrumptious cake. I’m comfortable with dates but raisins are among my absolute least favorite ingredients. Ever.
And So I really was amazed at just how much I loved this cake. The taste is fabulously unique and also the ingredients just interact. The richness from the custard, which is made from heavy cream, is immense. Out of the box the taste in the raisins, dates, and pecans. This can be a cake to enjoy in small bites.
This recipe comes from America’s Test Kitchen, that we believe they based off a Pleasure of Cooking recipe. I’ve made the recipe as directed except I added only a pinch of nutmeg. Certainly one of my personal favorite reasons for America’s Test Kitchen is the wide array of &"vintage&" and &"regional&" recipes. However they’re not scared to alter the procedure or ingredients when they think they are able to enhance the standard method of making something.
Within this situation, rather of mixing the dates, raisins, and pecans in to the custard, they pressed them in to the cake crust and added the custard on the top. Besides this create looks, however it eliminates the main objection their tasters needed to Jefferson Davis Cake which was an unpleasing and unharmonious texture in the chunks of dried fruit and nuts suspended with what would certainly be considered a smooth custard. Been with them not been for separating the nuts and fruit to their own layer, I don’t think I'd have loved this cake, not to mention loved it.
Should you’re a cake baker, you actually don't want to lose out on this lengthy forgotten southern cake!
Jefferson Davis Cake
A lengthy forgotten southern cake created using raisins, dates, pecans, spices along with a wealthy custard.
Recipe type: Dessert
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons vegetable shortening, reduce ½-inch pieces and chilled
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, reduce ¼-inch pieces and chilled
- 3-4 tablespoons cold water
- ½ cup golden raisins
- ½ cup chopped dates
- ½ cup pecans
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- pinch of ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 5 large egg yolks
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- whipped cream, for garnish
- Make cake crust. Place flour, sugar, and salt inside a mixer and process until for any couple of seconds to mix. Scatter the bits of shortening outrageous and process until mixture appears like coarse cornmeal, about ten seconds. Scatter butter over top and process until appears like coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses. Transfer mixture to some medium bowl.
- Sprinkle 3 tablespoons water on the top of mixture and employ a rubber spatula to stir and press together to create a dough. If your dough doesn't form, add some extra 1 tablespoon water.
- Place dough on a bit of plastic wrap and shape right into a 4-inch disk. Wrap and refrigerate for one hour.
- Preheat oven to 425 levels.
- Let chilled dough rest around the counter for ten minutes after which roll right into a 12-inch circle on the gently floured surface. I love to roll dough on a bit of parchment paper after which select the paper up and invert the folded cake crust to the cake plate and peel away the paper.
- Once dough is within cake plate, trim excess dough, departing ¼-inch extending past the fringe of the cake plate. Fold overhanging dough under itself that it is despite the advantage from the cake plate. Crimp dough together with your fingers.
- Make use of a fork to prick holes in bottom of cake crust, place a bit of aluminum foil around the dough, and fill with peas or cake weights. Bake in oven for twenty five minutes. Remove foil and beans and let cake crust awesome when you result in the filling.
- Place a stove rack within the cheapest position and preheat oven to 325 levels.
- Place raisins, dates, and pecans inside a mixer and process until finely ground. Press mixture into bottom of cake covering.
- In a tiny bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and flour.
- Utilizing an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar just until combined. Add egg yolks individually.
- Add flour mixture and high cream, scraping lower the edges from the bowl, beating just until combined.
- Pour filling over fruit and nuts and bake until center of cake jiggles just slightly when shaken, about 55 to 65 minutes. If edges of cake crust start getting too brown, carefully wrap them in aluminum foil.
- Awesome completely before serving and store within the refrigerator. Is more enjoyable chilled and offered with whipped cream.
Recipe Source: adapted slightly form America's Test Kitchen