It's considered a Boiled or Cooked Frosting, and I've been making it from the Joy of Cooking cookbook all these years. But when we moved to 8000 feet elevation in Evergreen, Colorado from Tucson, Arizona, the recipe did not work and I had to do a lot of reading and figuring.
Old-Fashioned Caramel Frosting
In a medium saucepan heat and stir until sugar is dissolved:
2 c packed brown sugar
1 c heavy cream
Cover and simmer for 2 minutes. Spoon down any sugar on the sides of the pan and cook uncovered, hardly stirring, until the syrup reaches 238 degrees. Remove from the heat and add, without stirring:
3 Tb butter (unsalted if you have it)
Set aside, without stirring, until the mixture cools to 110 degrees and stir in:
1 tsp vanilla.
The 238 degrees is where I had to change the recipe (and it has an optional addition of rum flavoring which I don't like). It was in the Joy of Cooking's "Know Your Ingredients" chapter, and maybe under making candy, and maybe even canning, that I figured it out. Cooking and canning temperatures and timings are set for sea level. At 8000 ft I had to lower the temperature to 18_ degrees (I'm not at home with my cookbook and notes. But at my elevation, boiling water temp is at 186, which means 20 minutes of waterbath canning time stretches out to 46 minutes for me! And I think when making candy, that soft-ball stage at 238 has to lower about 2 degrees per thousand ft or is it hundreds?)
Once the frosting is cooled and vanilla added you beat it with a hand mixer in the pan (or you have to transfer it to a mixing bowl) till it gets thickened creamy.
The recipe actually makes more frosting than the cake needs, but my kids always wanted the extra to add to their cake slices or spread on ginger cookies or graham crackers. Yummm ....
In Ogema, Wisconsin, Monte's Aunt Ruby makes this cake frosting. Even last year she had it at an event and I recognized it and we talked about it. She says it's everybody's favorite. Aunt Ruby is the only other person I know who makes it. She raised her family on a dairy farm, so you know her cream had to be the BEST ever!
2 comments:
Thanks for the recipe. I loved your cookbook! Dawson's pic of your pantry inspired me to clean mine. It was helpful to see brands etc. and how you stored things. If you put out another book I'd buy it. I have seven children. I have home schooled 17 years. I am schooling my youngest. My husband passed on 7 years ago.so the rest are in college or public school. Most of my friends don't understand the cooking by scratch thing so thanks for the inspiration. Dawson is inspiring me to buy a camera. I am also praying for Dawson and his dog.
Yummy! I can't wait to give this a try. (Dare I admit my mouth is watering as I write this?)
I just came in from a glorious spate in the garden ~~ one of my true loves ~~ and I must be into the shower before I can set to work on anything in the kitchen. Oooooh I do hope there's time to give this a try.
Thanks SO MUCH for answering my request. I have literally had this question burning for YEARS! Every time I leaf through your book (it's a favorite of mine) and come across your references to spice cake I would think of writing to you. Now I have, and you have been so gracious! : D
p.s.
Your Sky-High Biscuits are the #1 hands-down favorite in our family. (Just thought you'd like to know.)
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