Let's Talk BBQ

Recipes => Recipes => Desserts => Topic started by: Smokin Don on January 07, 2015, 01:23:24 AM

Title: New England Spider Cake (iron skillet corncake)
Post by: Smokin Don on January 07, 2015, 01:23:24 AM
Jan 06 2015

I first saw this recipe at Food52 and knew it was one for me to try. Any cake that has cornmeal in it and baked in a cast iron skillet is one I have to try. I baked it today and it is a taste treat, delicious! The edges and bottom get a little crispy and a brown top covers a nice gooey layer that is from pouring a cup of heavy cream in the middle of the batter before baking.

I am always interested in food history and wondered why they called this a spider cake. I looked it up on the net and found the three legged cast iron pots and pans used to cook over coals in an open hearth were called spiders. I had probably read this before but it never stayed with me.

I am not sure who to give credit for the recipe; it shows up several places like this one. There are a few others that have the same ingredients in different amounts but don’t add the cup of cream before baking. I would say the original recipe is probably pretty old since it is called a spider cake.

My wife and I had a small piece of it warm out of the oven and that’s the best way to eat it. I ate a piece after my supper and had it room temperature with some maple syrup. It might be better warmed a little in the microwave. Either way it is delicious!

(http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a474/deains/Indoor%20cooking/_1063933_zpsd32dc897.jpg)

(http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a474/deains/Indoor%20cooking/_1063935_zpsc6149870.jpg)

Smokin Don

Recipe:

New England spider cake (iron skillet corncake)

Serves 8
•   2cups milk
•   4teaspoons white vinegar
•   1cup all-purpose flour
•   3/4cup yellow cornmeal
•   3/4cup sugar
•   1/2teaspoon baking soda
•   1/2teaspoon salt
•   2 eggs
•   2tablespoons butter
•   1cup heavy cream
•   Maple syrup, for serving

1.   Preheat the oven to 350° F. Combine the milk and vinegar in a bowl and set aside to sour (wait 5 to 10 minutes -- you'll see the milk get lumpy).
 
2.   In another bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda, and salt.

3.   Whisk eggs into the soured milk. Stir into dry ingredients and set batter aside.

4.   Melt butter in a 10- or 12-inch cast-iron skillet. Pour in the batter. Pour cream into center, then slide the skillet into the oven and bake until golden brown on top, about 45 minutes.

5.   Slice into wedges and serve warm, with maple syrup if you'd like.


Title: Re: New England Spider Cake (iron skillet corncake)
Post by: sliding_billy on January 07, 2015, 02:08:31 AM
That looks really good.
Title: Re: New England Spider Cake (iron skillet corncake)
Post by: sparky on January 07, 2015, 02:19:54 AM
large milk plz to go w/ my piece.   ;)
Title: Re: New England Spider Cake (iron skillet corncake)
Post by: Pam Gould on January 07, 2015, 02:49:57 AM
Making this today..I have everything here..and it's cold outside..and I don't wanna go out. So gonna bake. Thanks Don for the recipe. I have never heard of it, but have several things I wanna try. Only so much time and so many recipes to try. Ever heard of a beinenstick? It's a German cake and is fabulous.  Pam   GO BUCKS  .☆´¯`•.¸¸. ི♥ྀ.
Title: Re: New England Spider Cake (iron skillet corncake)
Post by: drholly on January 07, 2015, 04:25:00 AM
large milk plz to go w/ my piece.   ;)

Me too! That looks great!
Title: Re: New England Spider Cake (iron skillet corncake)
Post by: ACW3 on January 07, 2015, 04:53:21 AM
large milk plz to go w/ my piece.   ;)

Me too! That looks great!

X3!

Art
Title: Re: New England Spider Cake (iron skillet corncake)
Post by: africanmeat on January 07, 2015, 05:24:33 AM
Don it looks very tasty . there is a Romanian dish very much like this one (Malai ) . we eat it warm with a sour cream .
Title: Re: New England Spider Cake (iron skillet corncake)
Post by: Las Vegan Cajun on January 07, 2015, 07:23:07 AM
That looks really tasty, gotta try some myself. ;)
Title: Re: New England Spider Cake (iron skillet corncake)
Post by: TentHunteR on January 07, 2015, 08:14:31 AM
Great Post Don!!!  I love old recipes and learning about the history of food.

That sour milk is a technique is great too. It's often used in place of buttermilk.


Bookmarked!
Title: Re: New England Spider Cake (iron skillet corncake)
Post by: Jaxon on January 07, 2015, 03:59:21 PM
Deb and I both like the looks of this corn cake...

We bookmarked as well.

Thanks, too, for the pics so we'll know how it is supposed to look just before we take a bite.
Title: Re: New England Spider Cake (iron skillet corncake)
Post by: TecCrash on January 07, 2015, 06:41:15 PM
Bookmarked!   This I gotta try...  hmmmm wonder if I could cook it in the SRG...
Title: Re: New England Spider Cake (iron skillet corncake)
Post by: pz on January 07, 2015, 09:46:29 PM
large milk plz to go w/ my piece.   ;)

Me too! That looks great!

Me three - milk looks perfect with that corn cake!
Title: Re: New England Spider Cake (iron skillet corncake)
Post by: HighOnSmoke on January 08, 2015, 07:35:23 AM
A must try Don! Bookmarked!
Title: Re: New England Spider Cake (iron skillet corncake)
Post by: Pam Gould on January 08, 2015, 09:27:39 AM
I am making one of your cakes..it looks so good..will see how it turns out and if old man likes it. It's a balmy -7ish out this morning ...cake is in theoven.  GO BUCKS  .☆´¯`•.¸¸. ི♥ྀ.

[attachments deleted after 6 months]
Title: Cake is Done - New England Spider Cake (iron skillet corncake)
Post by: Pam Gould on January 08, 2015, 11:25:48 AM
Don..here is your cornmeal cake..it took a lot longer..so I boosted the temp aobut 25º..Can;t wait tillit cools off so we can try it. GO BUCKS  .☆´¯`•.¸¸. ི♥ྀ.

[attachments deleted after 6 months]
Title: Re: Cake is Done - New England Spider Cake (iron skillet corncake)
Post by: Smokin Don on January 08, 2015, 12:12:41 PM
[quote author=Pam Gould Don..here is your cornmeal cake..it took a lot longer..so I boosted the temp aobut 25º..Can;t wait tillit cools off so we can try it. GO BUCKS  .☆´¯`•.¸¸. ི♥ྀ.
[/quote]
Yours looks better than mine did Pam; more like the photo at food52 where I saw the recipe!!! Mine took 50 min. forgot to add that. Don
Title: Re: Cake is Done - New England Spider Cake (iron skillet corncake)
Post by: Pam Gould on January 08, 2015, 12:55:58 PM
[quote author=Pam Gould Don..here is your cornmeal cake..it took a lot longer..so I boosted the temp aobut 25º..Can;t wait tillit cools off so we can try it. GO BUCKS  .☆´¯`•.¸¸. ི♥ྀ.
Yours looks better than mine did Pam; more like the photo at food52 where I saw the recipe!!! Mine took 50 min. forgot to add that. Don
[/quote]
Don..that cake is absolutely fabulous..like a filling in the center..reminds me of my Romanian Grandma,,she made something like that..OMG is it good..made a pot of chili too..it's cold out..you stay in and warm..thanks for the recipe. Mine took over an hour..had to get Thermapen to 210º.  Pam  GO BUCKS  .☆´¯`•.¸¸. ི♥ྀ.