As I become more comfortable in the kitchen, I find myself increasingly enchanted by Southern cookery. Although I was fed well growing up (thanks mother), our meals were something one might consider “new-Southern”, a.k.a “casserole cooking.” Canned cream of mushroom was never a pantry’s reach away, alongside the infamous blue box, jarred tomato sauce and Stouffer’s lasagna. Our weekly dinner menu was usually a rotation of meatloaf, spaghetti, shepherd’s pie and beef stroganoff: all delicious things that will always remain in my repertoire. But not by any means Southern.
I am however, deeply influenced by both my grandmothers’ cooking. Nanna Dozier was often found whipping up chicken and dumplings from scratch, while Nanna Hagler always had a pot of spicy gumbo waiting patiently on the stovetop for hungry grandchildren to come gobble it down. It is these memories that nudge me to not only revive these recipes from the past, but to pass them along to future generations.
As I have begun to study Southern cuisine more diligently, I have discovered the wonderful works of Edna Lewis, better known as the Grande Dame of Southern cooking. Her writings have been essential to the preservation of an almost lost art. And although I am not the first person to discover her beautifully written recipes, I know later is better than never.
When I first read the words “Busy-Day Cake” in A Taste of Country Cooking, I was immediately spell-bound. How incredible is the idea of always having a freshly baked cake waiting in the kitchen on-the-ready, luring in unsuspecting passerby’s with the lingering aroma of spicy-sweet nutmeg. It is a tradition I will now strive for in my own house, hopefully not an impossibility but rather an attainable goal.
This cake honors its name — not too sweet and yielding a thick, almost cornbread-like crumb. Use the freshest ingredients available to you, as Edna would have. And put away the stand mixer for once and get that wooden spoon moving. The cake will taste better that way, as things made with love have tendency to do.
BUSY-DAY CAKE
Source: Adapted from A Taste of Country Cooking
- 8 tablespoons butter (1 stick), at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 cup whole milk
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter and flour a 10-inch square and 2-inch deep cake pan or 9-inch springform pan, set aside. (I used an 8-inch round cake pan).
With a large wooden spoon, beat the butter and sugar in the bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating to incorporate after each addition.
In a large bowl, blend the butter and sugar by hand until it is light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one by one, beating the batter with a wooden spoon after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk, starting with 1/2 cup of flour and 1/3 of the milk, and ending with the remaining flour. Stir well after each addition.
Spoon the batter into the cake pan, and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. No need to ice, just serve warm with a glass of cold milk or freshly whipped cream.
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