RFCJ RECIPE ARCHIVE
Posted by : Karen Selwyn Cinnamon Chip Cake - pareve
A WASHINGTON POST article about Marcy Goldman's book A TREASURY OF JEWISH HOLIDAY BAKING included the following recipe. Goldman calls this "just about the best cake to come out of my test kitchen." It is rich and buttery-tasting (although it's butter-free), and some kind of magic occurs when butterscotch and cinnamon are baked together this way. I am one of a legion of Marcy Goldman fans. Her recipes are well-written to avoid any problems and the results are always tasty. In the cookbook, Marcy puts this recipe in the Shabbat category. Karen Selwyn * * * * * * Incredible Cinnamon Chip Cake (10 to 12 servings) For the cinnamon chip paste: 1/3 cup pecans or walnuts (optional) 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 tablespoon vegetable oil plus oil for the pan 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/3 cup butterscotch chips For the cake: 3/4 cup vegetable oil 2 cups sugar 3 eggs 1 cup water or orange juice 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously oil a 10-inch springform or a 9-by-13-inch cake pan. Line the pan bottom with parchment paper. Make the cinnamon chip paste: Combine the nuts, if using, and the brown sugar, oil, vanilla, cinnamon and butterscotch chips in a food processor and grind for about a minute or two, until the mixture is coarse. You can also put these ingredients in a plastic bag and crush it with a rolling pin. Set aside. To make the cake: Using a wire whisk or an electric mixer, in a large bowl blend together the oil, sugar, eggs, water or orange juice, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda. Fold the dry mixture into the wet mixture. This produces a wet, somewhat loose batter. Spoon all but a couple of tablespoons of batter into the pan. Sprinkle the cinnamon chip paste all over the batter, taking care not to concentrate the topping in the center (this could cause the middle to sink during baking). Cover the topping with the remaining batter--it will not cover it all, but it will bake into an interesting pattern. Bake for 45 minutes in a cake pan or 60 to 70 minutes in a springform pan. The top will be just firm to the touch and will look slightly crusty, with bits of melted topping peeking through. The center may dip a bit; this is fine. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes before removing it to a rack. Variation: Substitute chocolate chips for the butterscotch and omit the cinnamon. Original source: A TREASURY OF JEWISH HOLIDAY BAKING Marcy Goldman Current source: "Some Holiday Classics" Candy Sagon WASHINGTON POST (on-line edition), 9/16/98
