American Cake - Cake #18: Ocracoke Fig Cake

Time Period: 1980-1999

I wasn't aware there was a place in America that figs proliferate, but you learn something new every day. Ocracoke Island lies off the coast of North Carolina, and holds an annual fig festival to celebrate their local export. Apparently, the weather conditions there make figs very happy, but once they're harvested, they don't keep well, so they've got to be eaten or preserved quickly. So, when I was looking for a recipe to make for Christmas, I decided to veer away from a traditional fruitcake, but still wanted something seasonal. A cake that incorporated fig preserves sounded perfect, and I decided to whip up a batch of my family's lemon curd to accompany it.

Happily, everything came together. The cake is not a complex one; toasting and chopping the pecans was the most time-consuming step, and even that is quick if you've got a food processor. The final product is quite tasty, though adding whipped cream or the aforementioned lemon curd is highly recommended for a burst of extra texture and flavor. It was a very nice finale to our holiday meal, and we're still snacking on it a couple of days later.

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American Cake - Cake #17: Cowboy Cake

 Time Period: 1800-1869

Americans have always been a people on the move, so in order to satisfy their cravings for sweets, recipes were developed that didn't require a lot of the equipment or ingredients necessary for a lot of traditional cakes. 

Cowboy Cake is a perfect example: It's baked in a Dutch oven, and doesn't use eggs, butter, or milk. Pioneers and prospectors could simply stir together some flour, sugar, spices, fruit, and water, set it on the fire, and voila. Dessert is served.

I took the book's suggestion, and replaced the raisins in the recipe with dried apricots and peaches. The fruit was simmered in water, and shortening was then dissolved in the infused liquid. Once you stir in the dry ingredients, you've got a batter. Then I made the syrup with additional water, shortening, and sugar, and poured it over the top. Then simply bake until done.

It's a pretty tasty cake, and if I hadn't stupidly burned myself on the syrup, would have been a fairly simple preparation as well. We always think that cowboys were limited to things like trail mix and beef jerky, but as it turns out, they could turn out a cake worthy of anything available back in the urban jungle.

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