Grandbaby Cakes: Modern Recipes, Vintage Charm, Soulful Memories

Grandbaby Cakes: Modern Recipes, Vintage Charm, Soulful Memories

Jocelyn Delk Adams, who created the popular blog Grandbaby Cakes, has written a cookbook full of amazing desserts, spinning off on some of her favorite memories such as her Red Velvet Cake With Blackberry Cream Cheese Frosting based upon the popular ice cream treats, adding her own Grandbaby Notes to help make baking even easier.

As a child, Adams and her family would routinely embark on the ten-hour journey from their home in Chicago to Winona, Mississippi. There, she would watch her grandmother, affectionately nicknamed Big Mama, bake and develop delicious, melt-in-your-mouth desserts. From blooming tree-picked fruit to farm-raised eggs and fresh-churned butter, Big Mama used what was readily available to invent completely original treats. Adams treasured the moments when her mother, aunt, and Big Mama would bring her into the kitchen to let her dabble in the process as a rite of passage. Big Mama’s recipes became the fabric of their family heritage. Grandbaby Cakes is Adams’s love note to her family, thanking those who came before and passing on this touching tradition with 50 fantastic cakes

“I’m Jocelyn Delk Adams,” writes founder Adams on her blog, noting that her Grandbaby brand was inspired by her grandmother and shares classic recipes in a modern and accessible way.

“I hope to inspire a new generation of bakers and cooking enthusiasts to learn kitchen skills and not feel guilty about enjoying dessert,” she continues. “At an early age, I loved visiting Mississippi to watch my grandmother, or Big Mama Maggie as my family affectionately calls her, bake. Big Mama bakes cakes that literally have her neighbors lined up around the block waiting for a taste. She not only invents (yes, she developed all of her own recipes) the most delicious melt-in-your-mouth desserts I’ve ever tasted, but she also infuses them with so much love.”

Dreamsicle Punch Bowl Cake

SERVES 18–22

CAKE

• ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon shortening
• 1½  cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1½ cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon orange extract

WHIPPED CREAM

• 2 cups heavy cream, cold
• 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

ASSEMBLY

• ½ cup fresh orange juice, divided
• 2 pints orange sherbet, slightly softened, divided
• Orange slices, for garnish

FOR THE CAKE

Preheat your oven to 325°F. Liberally prepare a 9×5-inch loaf pan with the nonstick method of your choice.

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter, cream cheese, and shortening on high speed for 2 minutes. Slowly add the granulated sugar. Cream together for an additional 4 minutes, until very pale yellow and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

Turn your mixer down to its lowest speed and slowly add the flour in 2 batches. Add the salt. Be careful not to overbeat. Add the vanilla and orange extracts. Scrape down the sides, bottom of the bowl, and mix the batter until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out mostly clean.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto wire racks. Let cool to room temperature. Lightly cover the cake with foil or plastic wrap so it does not dry out.

FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM

Clean the bowl of your stand mixer and whisk attachment. Place them in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to get them nice and cold.

Remove the bowl and whisk attachment from the refrigerator. Add the heavy cream and whip on high speed until soft peaks form.

Turn your mixer down to medium-low speed and slowly add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract. Once the sugar is fully incorporated, turn your mixer speed back to high and continue to whip until stiff peaks form.

TO ASSEMBLE

Cut the cake into bite-size (½-inch) pieces. Place ½ of the cake pieces in a trifle bowl, so that the bottom is fully covered. Drizzle with ¼ cup of the orange juice. Using a spatula, spread 1 pint of the sherbet on top of the cake pieces. Top with ½ of the whipped cream. Repeat the process, using the remaining cake pieces, then a drizzle of the remaining orange juice, followed by the remaining sherbet, and then the rest of the whipped cream. Garnish the top of the cake with the orange slices. Serve.

André’s Buttered Rum and Candied Sweet Potato Crumb Cake

SERVES 20–24

GRANDBABY NOTES

If you want to save on ingredients, pick up some pumpkin pie spice and use 1½ to 2 teaspoons in place of the ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

To make sure your egg whites will whip to stiff peaks, be careful when separating your eggs. Egg whites can be quite finicky, so the slightest amount of fat from the yolk can throw off the process.

STREUSEL

• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

CAKE

• 4 large eggs, whites and yolks separated, room temperature
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large sweet potatoes, roasted, peeled, and mashed
• ⅓ cup hot water
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 2¼ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

BUTTER-RUM SAUCE

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons rum
• 2 tablespoons water

HOW TO ROAST SWEET POTATOES

Preheat your oven to 400°F. Prick the sweet potatoes with a fork, then rub each with 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil. Individually wrap each potato in foil and place them all on a baking sheet. Bake for 35 to 55 minutes, or until they are nice and soft. This time will vary based on the size of your sweet potatoes. When you can easily squeeze the sweet potatoes and the insides are tender, they are done.

FOR THE STREUSEL

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon.

Slowly whisk in the melted butter, letting it coat the dry ingredients until crumbs are formed. The mixture will seem wet, but this is normal. Pinch pieces together to form more crumbs. Set aside.

FOR THE CAKE

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Liberally prepare a 9 × 13-inch baking pan with the nonstick method of your choice. (I recommend the parchment method described on p. 17.)

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Transfer the whipped egg whites to a small bowl and place in the refrigerator.

Clean your stand mixer bowl and whisk attachment. Beat the granulated sugar and oil on medium-high speed until combined. Add the egg yolks 1 at a time, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the sweet potatoes, hot water, and vanilla extract and beat for another 3 to 4 minutes.

Turn your mixer down to its lowest speed and carefully add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, salt, baking soda, and nutmeg. Mix the batter until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. Remove the egg whites from the refrigerator and gently fold them into the batter.

Pour ½ of the batter into the prepared pan. Cover with ½ of the streusel. Repeat with the remaining batter and streusel. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out moist but mostly clean.

Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Poke the top of the cake in various locations with a toothpick. Lightly cover the cake with foil or plastic wrap so it does not dry out. While the cake continues to cool, prepare the sauce.

FOR THE BUTTER-RUM SAUCE

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the granulated sugar, butter, rum, and water to a boil. Once at a boil, whisk until the sauce thickens, about 3 to 5 minutes. When the sauce can thickly coat the back of a spoon, remove from the heat and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes.

Pour the sauce over the warm cake. Serve at room temperature.

Reprinted with permission from Grandbaby Cakes by Jocelyn Delk Adams, Agate Surrey, 2015.