Oct 9, 2008

Acadian Syrup Cake

Ken Smith, the executive chef at Upperline restaurant and an avid home baker, often serves this spiced, cane syrup–sweetened cake. On special occasions such as Thanksgiving and Christmas he pairs it with a sauce made from satsumas, a clementine-like citrus fruit that grows in Louisiana and is available in the late fall. Click here for a recipe for the sauce.

Photo: Landon Nordeman

2 1⁄2 cups flour, plus more for the pan
2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
1⁄2 tsp. ground cloves
1⁄2 tsp. fine salt
1⁄2 tsp. finely ground black pepper
1 1⁄2 cups dark cane syrup,
preferably Steen's brand
1⁄2 cup canola oil
1 egg, beaten
1 1⁄2 tsp. baking soda, dissolved in
1 cup boiling water
Confectioners' sugar, for garnish

1. Heat oven to 350°. Butter a 9" round metal cake pan and line bottom with buttered parchment paper. Sprinkle in a little flour; turn and tilt pan to coat the inside. Invert pan and tap out any excess flour. Set pan aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, cloves, salt, and pepper. In another bowl, whisk together syrup, oil, and egg. Beat one-third of the flour mixture followed by one-third of the soda mixture into the syrup mixture; repeat twice more, to make a smooth batter. Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in middle of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cake cool completely in pan. Invert cake onto a plate; dust with confectioners' sugar.

SERVES 8 – 10

This article was first published in Saveur in Issue #115

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Ratings & Reviews (8)

by carlastriegel on 2008-10-31

i wanted to try the recipe, but being a northerner, i figured i'd have to order cane syrup. instead of using the source listed in the pantry, i went directly to the steen's web site. they sell it pkgs. of four, with shipping included. and i was able to get it in bottles instead of cans. i'll use the remaining bottles as hostess or christmas gifts with the recipe attached...or a cake, if i'm feeling extra nice.

by nina on 2008-12-15

my boyfriend has dietary restrictions that keep him from eating most desserts (he's not vegan but can't process much animal fat). so this cake has become a favorite for him. i used corn syrup with some cane in it, but i'm ordering steen's online for next time.

i'm wondering if the batter could be made a day or two in advance, because we're taking a trip for new year's but i'd rather not lug all the ingredients...

by erica.kocis on 2009-01-14

I have made this recipe and made it over the holidays. The first time I made the cake my cake pan wasn’t deep enough & my mom ended up with a mess in
her oven. The cake tasted great despite the mess and everyone enjoyed it. It is not too sweet & very moist. I made it a second time, using a deep 10-inch tart pan (with removable bottom) & put tin foil to avoid any leaks. It worked like
a charm and got rave reviews. The sauce is good but I like it as it is
or with vanilla ice cream.

by erica.kocis on 2009-01-14

I have made this recipe twice over the holidays. The first time I made the cake my pan wasn’t deep enough & my mom ended up with a mess in her oven. Uh-oh! The cake tasted great (thank goodness) despite the mess and everyone enjoyed it. It is not too sweet & very moist. I made it a second time, using a deep 10-inch tart pan (with removable bottom) & put tin foil to avoid any leaks. It worked like a charm and got rave reviews. The sauce is good but I like it as it is or with vanilla ice cream.

by RIOSANNA on 2010-10-22

loved this cake, moist and delicious. I substituted the Cane syrup with one that I made with white sugar and brown sugar.

by grillgramma on 2012-01-02

Very easy with good results. This will shock Southerners, but I like it better made with pure Vermont maple syrup. There's a lot of room for cake decoration too. It keeps well.

by grillgramma on 2012-01-02

PS: Where's the sauce recipe? "Click here" goes nowhere.