Aging an Iced Cake

[Lindacakes]

I've found a recipe that I'd really like to try and before I commit to it, I'd like a reality check.

 

This is an aged Christmas cake, not a fruit cake, but a nut cake -- I've made a similar cake from a Craig Claiborne recipe found in Moira Hodgson's fruit cake book.  It had black walnut and candied ginger and was superb.

 

This one is unusual in that you make 4 cake layers, ice them and then age this cake for four days.  The part that gets me is "airtight container".  How do you put a four layer cake in an airtight container?  A Rubbermaid storage container?

 

The recipe comes from a silly Christmas cookbook --  I pour over sources like these for fruitcake recipes, so it could be a complete joke.  Any opinions?

 

 

Holiday Black Walnut Cake (Germany)

Santa’s North Pole Cookbook by Jeff Guin

 

 

5 eggs, separated

3 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup shortening

1 cup whole milk

¾ cup chopped black walnuts

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 

9 tablespoons butter

6 tablespoons heavy cream

6 cups powdered sugar

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

 

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut circles of waxed paper to fit the bottom of four 8-inch round cake pans.

Place the paper in the pans and lightly grease paper and sides of pans.

Dust with flour and set aside.

 

In a large bowl beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.

Set aside.

 

Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl.

 

In a medium bowl, cream sugar and shortening.

Add the sugar mixture to the sifted flour mixture.

Beat until smooth.

Add the egg yolks and milk and beat until just blended.

Do not overbeat.

 

Stir in the walnuts and vanilla.

Gently fold in the egg whites.

 

Divide batter equally among the prepared cake pans.

Smooth the tops and bake for 25 minutes until golden brown.

Transfer to wire racks and let cool completely.

 

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter.

Add the cream and heat until mixture is slightly less than boiling.

Remove from heat.

Add powdered sugar and whisk until completely smooth.

Add the vanilla.

 

Peel wax paper off cooled cake layers.

Place first cake layer  top side down on cake plate and spread evenly with icing.

Top with another layer top side down and repeat until all four layers are stacked.

Use remaining icing to cover the top and sides of the cake.

 

Place the iced cake in an airtight container.

Leave completely undisturbed for five days before serving.

At the end of the five days, all the flavors of the cake will have matured.

 

You will understand why the long wait was worth it when you take your first bite.

 

 

 

[Darienne]

I'm no storage expert, but I'd say a Rubbermaid container would be just the thing.  Many of our food ingredients are stored in Rubbermaid containers in our cellar and we've done well by them over the years.  We live in a more than century old farmhouse and our cellar is just that...a cellar, not a basement.  Storage was a problem from day one and Rubbermaid has come to our rescue.

 

Good luck with the cake.

[andiesenji]

The recipe is probably referring to a cake tin.  I have a couple that are huge and were intended for "aging" or storing large layer cakes and other tall cakes.  One is 14" in diameter and 8" tall and looks like a cookie tin except the "top" is intended to be the bottom, cake is placed on it and the deep part is fitted over it. 

 

I have some of the big Cambro containers and have done this with them, simply using it upside down.  If you have something similar use that.

 

Or, if all else fails, if you have a microwave and can get along without for a few days, stick the cake in there - they are about as air-tight as you will find in a regular kitchen. 

 

There are also storage tubs, relatively inexpensive and plenty of room to set the cake in and fasten the cover.

 

This is similar to the big cake tin I have.

 

 

P.S. have you ever looked at my Fruited Cocoa Cake on my blog?

 

Edited August 22, 2015 by andiesenji (log)

[Lindacakes]

Thank you both!  I realized after I wrote this that I could do two two-layer cakes more easily, which is much more practical than a four-layer cake . . . 

 

I will take it that it does not shock you to age an iced cake, so I'll give it a whirl this Christmas.

 

I have not made you Fruited Cocoa Cake, Andiesenji -- I will, though, I promise.  I did make the Old Foodie's Chocolate Alcohol Cake one year!  It's been a while since I've done a chocolate one.

 

That is a really cool cake tin, so high, and the little handle rocks.

[Thanks for the Crepes]

My old vintage Tupperware cake safe is airtight, 10" inside diameter and 6-1/2" high. It works fine for 2-layer or 3-layer iced cakes, but might not accommodate a 4-layer one, especially with the whipped egg whites giving extra loft to the layers. My base is reversible, and I get an extra 3/4 inch of clearance when I flip the base to one of the sides. On that side, there's a 1/2" raised rim, instead of a flush surface, so it's a wee bit more difficult to serve the cake, but certainly no deal breaker.

 

I think Rubbermaid offers a current similar product, and others make cheaper knockoffs. You can serve the cake right off the base of the safe.

 

That's a great idea to go with a couple of 2-layer cakes, and probably your best bet, unless you're so committed to this idea that you want to spend a lot of time and money running down something like the beautiful old cake tin andiesenji posted about.

 

If I were really wedded to the idea of a 4-layer cake with the equipment I have, I'd make and age a 3-layer in a regular cake safe, and make a 1-layer on the inverted top of a Tupperware or equivalent container wide and tall enough to contain it, then seal it with the inverted base for the requisite 4 days. At serving time, take the inverted base off the 1-layer and use a couple of broad spatulas or bench knives to place the single layer on the other three. Meld the frosting from the first into the second layer.

 

Ooh  , I just noticed that you say nothing about refrigerating the assembled cake, and may be more concerned about safety than logistics.

 

I'd say with those ingredients aged at room temp would be safe for that time because they are all cooked and are stored airtight. I'd want to eat it all on the fifth day, if I were going to do it that way. I used to store cakes at room temp, but I don't now. They will mold in my climate pretty quickly. I bring out serving pieces before dinner to let them warm, and it lasts a lot longer that way.

 

Who knows, the frosting may turn into a sweet creme fraiche? This is a very intriguing recipe, Lindacakes. Please let us know if you decide to make it and how it turns out.

 

ETA:

 

Just did a little research, because I seemed to recall black walnut had antiseptic properties. Some folks think it also has anti-fungal, and we all know that aging pasteurized cream creates wonderful things.

 

Just wear gloves if you're shelling your own black walnuts, and take care if you're not. I once wasted quite a bit of money on a bag that were well within date, but slightly rancid to my taste. Coons ate 'em anyway. Fresh black walnuts are manna, but quite the bitch to shell.

Edited August 23, 2015 by Thanks for the Crepes (log)