We’ve reached the halfway point of this Family History series of Tasting History! We hope you’re enjoying the stories and recipes featured.
Our ninth Family History Recipe comes from Josh and is for Moravian Sugar Cake.
Josh explained that “[g]rowing up in Winston-Salem meant seeing this cake at every holiday and potluck (along with Krispy Kreme donuts, but that’s another story)… It’s a very simple yeast cake, strengthened with potatoes, topped heavily with butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. To my mind, it captures the practicality that I associate with Moravian cooking.”
Butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon? What could go wrong? Not a thing, according to Taste Tester Sharon! She gave this cake a quick sniff test then went in for a big bite. She thought it was delicious, not too sweet and well worth the time to make.
Recipe: Moravian Sugar Cake
The Moravians are one of the oldest of the Anabaptist sects to come out of central Europe. During the early 18th century they began a missionary movement that brought them to the new world. One of their larger colonies was in the Piedmont of North Carolina, which would eventually become the Salem half of Winston-Salem, my hometown.
Growing up in Winston-Salem meant seeing this cake at every holiday and potluck (along with Krispy Kreme donuts, but that’s another story). Honestly, not many people baked it at home since every local bakery had their own version. This recipe is originally from the Winkler Bakery, part of the living history community called “Old Salem” that recreates the Moravian settlement near downtown Winston-Salem.
Historically, this cake is a descendant of the butterkuchen that the Moravians would have made in Bohemia. It’s a very simple yeast cake, strengthened with potatoes, topped heavily with butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. To my mind, it captures the practicality that I associate with Moravian cooking. – Josh
Ingredients:
2 packages active dry yeast (4 ½ teaspoons)
½ cup warm water, about 110 degrees (steaming from tap)
½ teaspoon sugar
¾ cup warm water, about 110 degrees
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons dry milk
¼ cup dry instant mashed potatoes
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup melted and cooled butter
2 eggs
4-6 cups flour, divided*
1 cup brown sugar (either dark or light)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup melted and cooled butter
*There are several different versions of this recipe floating around, and this is the range of flour. Four cups gives a softer, moister cake. Six cups gives a thicker, firm cake that feels like you're eating a piece of cinnamon toast. I believe the six cup variant comes from the professional bakeries, who cut this cake up into slabs and sell in plastic bags. It keeps and travels well. Most people advise you to microwave this style of cake for 15-30 seconds to soften it.
Directions:
Add yeast to ½ cup warm water and sugar. Set aside until yeast bubbles.
Add next seven ingredients (through eggs) to yeast mixture plus 1 cup of the flour and beat for 2 minutes on medium speed.
With a wooden spoon, stir in remaining flour.
Transfer to a greased bowl and turn once to grease top of dough; cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down and transfer to a greased shallow pan (a half sheet pan works well - 18x13 - or a jelly roll pan). Let rise 30 minutes.
Spread evenly in pan and sprinkle evenly with brown sugar and cinnamon.
Make shallow indentations with your fingers and dribble with the last ½ cup of melted and cooled butter.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and let dough rise another 30 minutes.
We’ve reached the halfway point of this Family History series of Tasting History! We hope you’re enjoying the stories and recipes featured.
Our ninth Family History Recipe comes from Josh and is for Moravian Sugar Cake.
Josh explained that “[g]rowing up in Winston-Salem meant seeing this cake at every holiday and potluck (along with Krispy Kreme donuts, but that’s another story)… It’s a very simple yeast cake, strengthened with potatoes, topped heavily with butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. To my mind, it captures the practicality that I associate with Moravian cooking.”
Butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon? What could go wrong? Not a thing, according to Taste Tester Sharon! She gave this cake a quick sniff test then went in for a big bite. She thought it was delicious, not too sweet and well worth the time to make.
Recipe: Moravian Sugar Cake
The Moravians are one of the oldest of the Anabaptist sects to come out of central Europe. During the early 18th century they began a missionary movement that brought them to the new world. One of their larger colonies was in the Piedmont of North Carolina, which would eventually become the Salem half of Winston-Salem, my hometown.
Growing up in Winston-Salem meant seeing this cake at every holiday and potluck (along with Krispy Kreme donuts, but that’s another story). Honestly, not many people baked it at home since every local bakery had their own version. This recipe is originally from the Winkler Bakery, part of the living history community called “Old Salem” that recreates the Moravian settlement near downtown Winston-Salem.
Historically, this cake is a descendant of the butterkuchen that the Moravians would have made in Bohemia. It’s a very simple yeast cake, strengthened with potatoes, topped heavily with butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. To my mind, it captures the practicality that I associate with Moravian cooking. – Josh
Ingredients:
*There are several different versions of this recipe floating around, and this is the range of flour. Four cups gives a softer, moister cake. Six cups gives a thicker, firm cake that feels like you're eating a piece of cinnamon toast. I believe the six cup variant comes from the professional bakeries, who cut this cake up into slabs and sell in plastic bags. It keeps and travels well. Most people advise you to microwave this style of cake for 15-30 seconds to soften it.
Directions: