Araby Spice Cake
A recipe for Araby Spice cake appeared in the 1950 edition of Betty Crocker’s Picture Cook Book on page 130.
Cinnamon, nutmeg and cocoa gave the cake its mocha color and subtle-spicy flavor and a hint of lemon came from the addition of lemon extract. And for a little texture, 1/2 cup nuts, coarsely cup-up, were called for.
I first heard of this cake when my friend Betsy, told me it was her favorite birthday cake when she was growing up. When I invited Betsy and her husband over for dinner to celebrate her birthday, I decided to surprise her by baking her favorite cake. (I imagine her mother made the layer cake version of the recipe but on a week night, I decided to bake the cake in a 13x9-inch pan because it would be easier to frost the next morning, before I left for work.)
The Araby Mocha Icing is made with butter, powdered sugar, a little cocoa, cinnamon and hot coffee. In the 1950 version, there was one egg yolk in the icing too and I updated the recipe (below) to use one pasteurized egg yolk.
Do you have a favorite birthday cake?
Betsy with a slice of Araby Spice Cake
Araby Spice Cake
¾ cup shortening
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 cups all-purpose Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons cocoa
¾ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon extract
½ cups coarsely chopped walnuts
Araby Mocha Icing
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 pasteurized egg yolk
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons hot, strong coffee
Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom and sides of one 13x9-inch pan or two 9-inch round pans with shortening; lightly flour.
In large bowl, beat shortening with sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
In another large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and cocoa.
In medium bowl mix buttermilk, vanilla and lemon extract.
Fold in about half of the flour mixture into shortening mixture. Stir in half of buttermilk mixture. Repeat with remaining flour and buttermilk mixtures. Fold in walnuts.
Pour into pan(s). Bake 13x9-inch pan 35 to 45 minutes, round pans 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool rectangle in pan on wire rick. Cool rounds 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, make icing. In medium bowl beat all icing ingredients with electric mixer on low speed until blended, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed, scraping bowl occasionally until fluffy.
Frost 13x9-inch cake or fill and frost round layers with Araby Mocha Icing.
12 servings