It's just made from very few, and quite cheap ingredients.
This recipe, fully entitled "Sapelo Island Hard Time Cake" comes from Southern Cakes by Nancie McDermott. This recipe takes advantage of the oh-o-flavorful ingredient molasses, similar to the other cake I made using this book.
Also, you're not expected to know where Sapelo Island is; don't feel ashamed if you didn't, cuz even I didn't, and I know everything. (That was a joke, in case you didn't catch on, which if so, you should feel ashamed.) I thought it was some exotic, teeny island in the middle of the Pacific; turns out it's a teeny island owned by Georgia. Much less climatic.
The Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups self-rising flour*
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 1 cup molasses
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2/3 cup water
*If you don't have any self-rising flour, don't panic! It's actually extremely easy to make. For 1 ½ cups self-rising flour: combine 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 ½ tsp baking powder, 5/8 tsp baking soda, and ¾ tsp salt.
The Process
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
The fact that I'm telling you to heat the oven from the beginning should be proof that this really is an extremely easy recipe!
In a medium bowl, mix the flour, cinnamon, and cloves together with a wooden spoon.
Melt the butter. Add the molasses and butter to the flour, and mix well.
Heat the water until warm, which should take only 30 seconds in the microwave. Stir the baking soda in the water, and then the water in the batter. This will make your batter much, much more liquid-y.
While the water warms, lightly grease your pan. The recipe calls for a 9" round or square pan, but apparently we only own 8" pans, so I had to resort to using an 8" square pan.
Pour the finished batter into the batter and bake until the cake is a deep brown, slightly springy to the touch, and a toothpick comes out clean from the center. For a 9" pan, the recipe claims this should take 25-30 minutes. I baked mine for closer to 35 minutes. Cool on top of a kitchen towel or wire rack, then eat straight from the pan!
The fact that I'm telling you to heat the oven from the beginning should be proof that this really is an extremely easy recipe!
In a medium bowl, mix the flour, cinnamon, and cloves together with a wooden spoon.
Melt the butter. Add the molasses and butter to the flour, and mix well.
Heat the water until warm, which should take only 30 seconds in the microwave. Stir the baking soda in the water, and then the water in the batter. This will make your batter much, much more liquid-y.
This is what your finished batter should look like.
While the water warms, lightly grease your pan. The recipe calls for a 9" round or square pan, but apparently we only own 8" pans, so I had to resort to using an 8" square pan.
Pour the finished batter into the batter and bake until the cake is a deep brown, slightly springy to the touch, and a toothpick comes out clean from the center. For a 9" pan, the recipe claims this should take 25-30 minutes. I baked mine for closer to 35 minutes. Cool on top of a kitchen towel or wire rack, then eat straight from the pan!
The Final Product
Some Notes
This recipe packs quite a punch! If you don't like strong flavors, and especially if you don't like molasses, you probably should stray from making this recipe.
This cake isn't very sweet.
If you analyze the picture above, you'll notice that the middle of my cake is caved in. I think this is due to my smaller pan size.
The cake is pretty spongey. Mine was also slightly gooey - not undercooked, but not fluffy. I also think this was due to the pan size.
If I Could Do It Again....
I'd definitely use a 9" pan.
I'd also try adding in a spice or pepper to make the cake spicey, similar to Latino candies. I think it'd fit appropriately with the strong flavors.
The Final Verdict
This cake was soooo easy to make. No special tools required, not even complicated ingredients. So easy.
With such strong flavors, it's not something I went back for seconds for. Not a bad thing, just my pallet was satisfied with one piece.
I wouldn't serve this at a dinner party, as it isn't your stereotypical dessert. This cake seems like it would make a great afternoon snack that would satisfy the taste buds, but not leave you wanting more to eat. It also reminds me of something my family might take camping; not really sure why, but just thought I'd note it!
With it's strong flavor, this is a good every-now-and-then cake, which will prevent it from getting boring and old, and keep the flavors fresh and desired each time you make it.
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