Birthday Cake With Sherry Glaze

Recipe from "The Fannie Farmer Cookbook"

Adapted by Jennifer Steinhauer

Birthday Cake With Sherry Glaze
Tom Schierlitz for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Brian Preston-Campbell.
Total Time
About 1 hour 30 minutes
Rating
4(66)
Notes
Read community notes

If you are a reluctant baker and make only one cake a year, let it be a birthday cake for someone you love. There is so little effort and so much glory to the project. A two-layer cake is simple to produce, but if even that seems daunting, no complaints will arise from a golden Bundt cake. In our times, the simple fact of a homemade cake is enough to impress. Drizzling a liquid glaze over the cake is much easier than frosting, just as pretty, and does not require alarming specialty gadgets such as an "offset spatula." —Jennifer Steinhauer

Featured in: The Way We Eat; As Easy as . . .

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Ingredients

Yield:Serves 10 to 12
  • ¼pound butter, plus more for greasing pan
  • 2½cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting pan
  • 3½teaspoons baking powder
  • 1¼cups firmly packed brown sugar
  • 2large eggs, separated
  • ⅔cup whole milk
  • 1teaspoon vanilla
  • 1teaspoon orange extract
  • 3½tablespoons sherry
  • ½cup chopped walnuts
  • ½cup raisins
  • ⅓cup currants
  • 2tablespoons finely chopped candied orange peel
  • ½cup confectioners' sugar
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)

360 calories; 12 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 58 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 34 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 133 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour an angel-food-cake pan. Sift together the flour and baking powder. Using a mixer at medium speed, beat the butter until creamy and slowly add the brown sugar. Mix in the egg yolks, milk, vanilla, orange extract and 2 tablespoons of the sherry. Blend in the flour mixture.

  2. Step 2

    In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold them into the batter. Fold in the walnuts, raisins, currants and orange peel. Scrape into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes, then unmold and cool on a rack before glazing.

  3. Step 3

    In a small bowl, whisk the confectioners' sugar and remaining 1½ tablespoons sherry until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the top.

Ratings

4 out of 5
66 user ratings
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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Juliet Jones

I loved Sam Sifton's wording today in the email that featured this recipe, it says "Do you need a Birthday Cake today?" and I thought to myself, why yes I do, because it's MY birthday (but I'm not going to make it for myself). It gave me a smile, though!

Judy

I will use pecans and those gorgeous drie cranberries and cherries i just picked up as well as the raisins

P. Howard

This cake is delicious. I agree, check the cake at 40 to 45 minutes. I soaked the currants and raisins in additional sherry (drained before adding) and have used pecans and walnuts. The batter looked a bit odd after adding the liquids to the butter/sugar mixture but it came together nicely after adding the flour and egg whites.

wilva from Hamilton, Canada

I made this Birthday Cake for myself—October 26th. It was really good. BUT even better 3 days later. I soaked the fruit in Sherry also. Thanks for the tip. Will be making this for a Christmas pot luck with maybe candied cherries for the sake of festivity. Someone also suggested dates…. Such a good cake. 40 minutes was perfect.

Dessy

Recently found this recipe and made it for my niece's bday I too, switched to sour cherries, currants and pecans. Wonderful choice although after I checked at 40 minutes , batter was still wet and left another 10 and found it dry. So next time, which there will be, maybe 45 minutes.

P. Howard

This cake is delicious. I agree, check the cake at 40 to 45 minutes. I soaked the currants and raisins in additional sherry (drained before adding) and have used pecans and walnuts. The batter looked a bit odd after adding the liquids to the butter/sugar mixture but it came together nicely after adding the flour and egg whites.

Liz

Great flavor and everyone I served it to loved it. But I would recommend checking it after 45 minutes. I baked it for the full 50 and it was a bit dry. Nothing that a little whipped cream couldn’t remedy, however!

Judy

I will use pecans and those gorgeous drie cranberries and cherries i just picked up as well as the raisins

Juliet Jones

I loved Sam Sifton's wording today in the email that featured this recipe, it says "Do you need a Birthday Cake today?" and I thought to myself, why yes I do, because it's MY birthday (but I'm not going to make it for myself). It gave me a smile, though!

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Credits

Adapted from "The Fannie Farmer Cookbook."

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