Grandma Hazel's Spiced "Sponge" Cake
Sponge Base
- 1 pkg instant yeast
- ½ lukewarm water
- ¾ c scalded milk (heated to 180 degrees then cooled)
- ¾ water
- ½ tbs sugar
- 2 c flour
Cake
- 1 c sugar
- 2/3 cup lard + additional for greasing
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cloves
- 2 c flour
- 1 c buttermilk
- 2 c raisins
- Chopped Pecans (optional)
Frosting
- 2 pkg cream cheese (8 oz)
- 5 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 tbs heavy cream
Directions
Make sponge base:
1. Dissolve yeast in ½ lukewarm water, let sit for 5 min until bubbly
2. Combine scalded milk, water, sugar and 1 ½ c flour and mix well until smooth
3. Add yeast mixture and additional ½ c flour and beat until shiny with no lumps (approx. 2-3 min)
4. Allow to rise until doubled in size and bubbly (approx. 30 min)
Make cake:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Cream lard with sugar until well combined (2-3 min)
3. Add eggs, mix until combined
4. Add sponge base, mix until combined
5. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add them to cake mixture, alternating with buttermilk
6. Grease 2 round cake pans generously with lard. Pour half cake batter into each pan.
7. Sprinkle 1 cup raisins over each cake
8. Alternatively, you can use a 9×13 pan for a single layer cake
9. Bake for 40 min or until center of cake is firm and toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean
Frosting:
1. Whip cream cheese with powdered sugar, adding ½ cup powdered sugar at a time.
2. Add vanilla and cream and whip until combined
Allow the cakes to cool before frosting. To assemble the cake, arrange one cake on a cake plate. Cut the top to flat, if desired. Top with Cream Cheese frosting, then stack 2nd cake on top and frost top and sides. Top with chopped pecans, if desired.
