Mother’s Spice Cake

[Note: This was shared as post on The Ranting Chef earlier today!] This recipe should really be called “Mother’s Mother’s Mother’s Spice Cake,” because I believe it originally belonged to my Great-Grandmother. Take a look at the recipe card below, typed on an old school typewriter… clearly, this is a very old and much loved favorite!  I love how this recipe, like so many old recipes, is really just a list of ingredients. In some cases, it can be very difficult to recreate a dish from ingredients alone! In this case, however, coming up with instructions and baking times was pretty straightforward. The updated set of instructions below are user-friendly and simple enough to follow with confidence. If you’re reading this post from the U.S., remember that Mothers Day is May 10th. Wouldn’t this make a fun Mothers Day cake? Ingredients (Makes a 9″ x 13″ cake) 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup room temperature butter 1 cup milk 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon cloves 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 egg yolks For the frosting: 2 egg whites 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup white sugar Directions Step 1) Cream together butter, 1 cup brown sugar, and 1/2 cup white sugar until thoroughly blended and fluffy. Add milk and egg yolks. Blend well. Step 2) Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices, and salt. Blend slowly until batter is smooth. Step 3) Pour batter into a greased and floured 9″ x 13″ cake pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Allow cake to cool thoroughly. Step 4) After cake has cooled, add 1 inch of water to the bottom of a double boiler.  Combine egg whites, 1 cup brown sugar, and 1/2 cup white sugar in the top of the double boiler. NOTE: you can make your own double boiler simply by setting a metal or glass mixing bowl over the top of a medium saucepan so that the water in the saucepan is “sealed” inside (the mixing bowl you select should be perfectly round and have smooth sides in order for this to work). Make sure the water in the bottom saucepan doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. Step 5) With the double boiler over medium heat, beat the egg whites and sugars at high speed using an electric mixer for seven minutes. Yes, seven minutes. This isn’t complicated, but you need to be patient! Making this frosting is a bit like making candy… we’re creating a chemical change (protein denaturation via heat and mechanical agitation, if you are interested in that sort of thing) which will turn your egg whites and sugars into an absolutely fantastic browned marshmallow frosting! If you’ve never had this frosting before, you’re in for a treat.  🙂 Step 6) The frosting will cool as soon as you remove the top of the double boiler from the heat (don’t get any water in your frosting!). Frost your cake and enjoy!