Buttermilk Country Cake

A couple of nights ago I had my friend Travis over for dinner and a movie. For dinner we feasted on stovetop mac and cheese and we had this cake for dessert. I mean, really what goes better with the movie Big Business than something called a "country cake"? I found it courtesy of Andrea. I feel like I always say this, but I want to make everything she posts. Well I actually did make this cake and I am so happy I did. It comes together very quickly and it is quite simple. I only changed one part of the directions. Instead of waiting for the cake to cool and then cutting it in half, I mixed the jam in with the batter. I am quite the clumbsy cook (just ask Travis who witnessed me spilling some of the pasta when making the mac and cheese) so I knew I wouldn't get a clean line if I split the cake in half and added the jam after the fact. Please don't ever ask me to make your wedding cake unless you want a lopsided mess. Luckily this is a nice, easy cake for a nice easy going night. I poured the jam into half the batter and swirled it around to get an interesting texture and design (which you can't really see in these pictures, but oh well). I was a little heavy handed with the powdered sugar topping, but thankfully it didn't make the cake too sweet and with the fresh strawberries, it was a nice touch.




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Jam Filled Buttermilk Country Cake
(From The Cake Bible)

Makes one 9-inch cake

*Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature

4 large egg yolks

2/3 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups sifted cake flour

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) unsalted butter (softened)

Your favorite jam for the center

Powdered Sugar for garnish
Strawberries for garnish (optional)

Oven preheated to 350. Prepare a 9-inch baking pan by greasing, line with parchment paper, then greased again and floured.

In a medium bowl, gently combine the yolks, about 1/4 of the buttermilk and the vanilla.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine all of the dry ingredients (this means everything but the butter). With the paddle attachment, mix on low for 30 seconds. Add the butter and the remaining buttermilk and continue to mix until everything is moistened. Increase to medium speed (high if you're using a hand mixer) and beat for 1 1/2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then begin gradually adding the egg mixture, which should be done in 3 batches. Beat for 20 seconds between each addition. Scrape down the sides once more.

Pour half of the batter into the pan. Dollop the jam over the batter using the back of a wooden spoon, swirl the jam throughout the batter. Pour the remaining batter over and smooth the top. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let the cake cool still in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Then remove from the pan and store it top up so it doesn't split. When the cake is completely cool, garnish with a dusting of powdered sugar and serve with strawberries if desired.