Burnt Sugar Cake Grandma Petersen (Lil)

Burnt Sugar Syrup

3/4 c. sugar 3/4 c. boiling water

Melt sugar in a skillet over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it turns into an amber-colored liquid. Turn off heat and carefully add boiling water (mixture will boil madly). Return to caramel to low heat and simmer. Reserve 1/4 burnt sugar syrup for frosting. To the remaining syrup , add enough water to make one cup.

Cake

3 c. sifted cake flour 2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt 3/4 c. butter - room temperature

1 1/4 c. sugar 3 eggs

1 cup burnt sugar syrup 1 tsp. vanilla

Pecan halves for decoration

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour two 9 inch layer cake pans - or one 9 x 13 inch pan. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Cream butter until smooth. Add sugar and continue creaming until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time beating after each addition until well blended. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture alternatley with the burnt sugar syrup mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients, until well blended and smooth. Pour into cake pan(s). Bake about 25 minutes or until the surface springs back slightly when lightly touched in the center and the cake contracts from the pans. Cool 10 minutes, invert on racks and cool before frosting. Fill and frost with Burnt Sugar Frosting. Decorate with whole pecan halves.

Frosting

1/4 c. butter 1 lb. powdered sugar

1/4 c. Burnt sugar syprup 1 tsp. vanilla.

Beat all ingredients together. If mixture is still add water a teaspoon at a time. Mom used to always bake this cake. We could not find her recipe, but this has got to be very close.