Here we have another one of those luscious home baked treats that screams good old fashioned 1950’s diner treat. I can just imagine the little children of St Louis, Missouri lining up outside their local bakery with their nickels and dimes – desperate to get their hands on a piece for an afternoon snack. Back in the day when snacks were a little more wholesome than what they are today – and nickels and dimes went alot further.
And what a treat this is – think of a rich vanilla cake with a topping of a buttery and gooey mixture that should actually be classified as cake given its ingredients – but it isn’t. It is sweet, but not overly and the browned edges are deliciously chewy and probably the best part by far. Put these on your must bake list if you haven’t already!
Ingredients
3 tablespoons milk at room temperature
1 3/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
85 grams/3 ounces unsalted butter at room temperature
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
Topping
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon light corn syrup
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
170 grams/6 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
to serve: Icing (powdered/confectioners’) sugar, for dusting
In a small bowl, mix milk with 2 tablespoons warm water. Add yeast and whisk gently until it dissolves. Mixture should foam a little.
Using an electric mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar and salt. Scrape down sides of bowl and beat in the egg. Alternately add the flour and the milk mixture, scraping down sides of bowl between each addition. Beat the dough on medium speed until it forms a smooth & elastic mass, around 5 to 7 minutes.
Press and push the dough into a lightly greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish (a tin is fine but a ceramic or glass dish is preferable) at least 2 inches deep. Cover dish with plastic wrap or clean tea towel, put in a warm place, and allow to rise until doubled, around 2 hours.
Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Whisk corn syrup with 2 tablespoons water and the vanilla in a small bowl. Using an electric mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl and beat in the egg. Alternately add flour and corn syrup mixture, scraping down sides of bowl between each addition – mix on a medium speed for about 4 minutes.
Spoon topping in large dollops over risen cake and use a spatula to gently spread it in an even layer. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes (watch carefully in case your oven runs hot!), your cake will rise and fall in waves and have a golden brown top, but will still be liquid in center when done. Allow to cool in pan before sprinkling with confectioners’ sugar for serving.
Notes: If you use a baking tin rather than a glass or ceramic dish then expect your cooking time to be on the shorter side.
Yield: 16 – 20 squares (but as many as you would like is fine)
Source: adapted from Melissa Clark for New York Times, 2009
© 2012, Michelle. All rights reserved.
