Labor of Love aka Mrs. Johnny's Caramel Cake

It's a labor of love.  No.  It's a symbol of love.

Mrs. Johnny Lott's caramel cake is quite possibly the best cake ever to grace a table or sideboard in Greene County.  Work intensive, its namesake long gone;  it cannot be bought.

Mrs. Johnny was one of those beautiful old ladies severely stooped by osteoporosis and too many years hard work that lived a life of Christian love.  She lived it.  She never spoke ill of anyone.  Seriously!  Growing up in our church as one of her youngsters I could never prod her into saying a bad thing about the worst of people (I thought they were the worst until I grew up and realized we were no different).  Her eyes would crinkle into a knowing smile and she'd tell me,  "Now you're going to have to ask somebody else, Missy.  I'm. not. sayin'." All the young ladies were Missy.  We only got called by our real names if mischief was brewing (and it often was).

Mrs. Johnny took the town's aging bachelor brothers under her wings, getting them to bathing regularly and going to church.  They're kind of simple and slow-minded;  men of personal integrity regardless of lack of hygienic skills.  Their daddy was a mail order groom and not from around these parts.  It's no big secret.  They'll tell you themselves (repeatedly).  Another story for another day.

Mrs. Johnny and her daughter, Phyllis, made this cake for ever person they loved in this community, which was just about everybody.  I don't know any folks of whatever creed and whichever color that never had one, they were just that generous with their time and skills.  The caramel cake wasn't made only in the event of a surgery or a death.  That first photo was the groom's cake for Joe and Jen a good many years ago.  They made all her grandchildren's groom's cakes.  Mine and X's also.  Nope.  Special family events, birthdays, church dinners and fundraisers all were provided Mrs. Johnny's caramel cake -- made with love.

The icing for Mrs. Johnny's caramel cake takes commitment.  And time.  And the ability to stand and stir.  Or sit and stir.  If you endeavor to make this cake you've got to know two things:  the icing alone will take well over half and hour to make annnnnd it will be the best thing you've made in a very very long time.  Even the mistakes are awesome!  If cooked too little and you make caramel syrup, store it in the fridge for whatever you'd use syrup on or do like I did and mix it with a big tub of Cool Whip for a creamy caramel filling.  If it cooks too hard, pour it on a buttered cookie sheet and have caramel bark.  The only way you have to throw it out is if you scorch the sugar while browning it.  Even then, the bitter edge is not UNappealing, just not as tasty.

A sad event occurred in my employers' family this week.  Their son, in his early forties, died from complications of chemical and viral pneumonia.  Down here we fix and feed the body of the mourning while spirit and soul are heavily burdened with the weight of sorrow.  I love my employers.  We're a little kin through the Haskell McLeod side.  I wanted to fix the very best I could to carry to them, dish and dessert.  The dish was a no-brainer:  three meat and four cheese lasagna.

But the dessert?  Y'all know my best and favorite is chocolate. I didn't want to carry a chocolate overload cake, lest it become identified with "oh, you brought one of those to us when A.M.J. passed."  Nope.  Not chocolate.  There could only be one other thing:  Mrs. Johnny's Caramel Cake.

The cake recipe itself used to be on the side of the Duncan Hines Butter Golden (or is it Golden Butter?) cake mix.  It's not on there any more.

See my cake orders on the shelf?  It's the only way to keep track of  them.  I tried a computer program and a bound planner.  No good.  Post it notes ROCK! To butter golden cake mix use one cup of sour cream, one fourth cup water, one fourth cup sugar, one third cup oil and four large eggs.   Mix until smooth and pour into greased and floured pans.  Beat and bang the air bubbles out so the cake will have a finely grained texture.

Close your eyes right here and imagine you're seeing the cakes go into the oven and come back out after thirty minutes or so perfectly baked and turning out of their pans.  It happened.  I didn't photograph it.

I made a batch and a half of the caramel icing.  I always like to have some left over to consume all by myself  share.  

You'll want to use a heavy skillet and a pot for this.  These are two of my favorites in the kitchen.  In the skillet put the 3/4 cup sugar.  The pint of half and half cream and 3 cups sugar go into the pot.  

Go ahead and get the sugar and cream cooking.  Cooking the syrup and (later) cooling the syrup take the longest time.  You can feel the granules of sugar on the bottom of the pan as you stir it.  I let it come to a little boil, stirring it for a few minutes afterward.  It'll get all foamy on top.  Be careful that it doesn't foam up!  This stuff will make the stickiest mess you'll never get clean.

Caramelize the sugar in the skillet on a medium heat.  I'm getting more and more coordinated with each post!  I was able to photograph the process (quickly) and show you how it goes.  The secret here is watching because once the process starts it moves along rapidly.  You can have scorched caramelized sugar about ten seconds beyond perfectly caramelized sugar.  Be ready to snatch the pan off the heat when it gets as dark as you want.

Are you dizzy yet?  I'm about half-way there...

 Oops.  Action photo...

See that foam?  That's ten seconds away from being RUINT!!!

Here comes one of the tricky parts:  stirring this very very hot caramelized sugar into the syrup, which has been on the low boil this entire time.  This stuff bubbles up like you'd never believe so pleeease be careful here.  

You've got to stir like crazy to keep this from boiling over at this point.  When all the caramelized sugar is stirred in, get ready to stand and stir some more. 

 Or sit and stir, like I do.

Mama says, "Mayree!  Don't sit like a fellow, with that chair turned around.  You look like a gal."  Apparently, back in Mama's heyday gals weren't nearly as nice as girls.  She doesn't want a gal for a daughter.

I use the soft-ball-in-cold water method for determining when the caramel is ready to be cooled and whipped.  Every candy thermometer I've ever bought has ended up out in the shed with The Fellows.  I quite buying them after the second one reappeared in the kitchen drawer with a crack in the bulb.  It's alright.  Water is much cheaper.

See that big roil?  The caramel syrup changes the boil when it's close to coming off the heat.

Nope.  Not yet.

See the finer bubbles?

Almost.

Always keep the sides scraped down.  They say it'll keep the icing from seizing.  I don't know.  I was privileged to have Mrs. Johnny and Mrs. Phyllis coach me (in person and over the phone) while learning to make this and they said to do it.  So I do.

Tadadddddaaaaaaaa!  Soft ball stage!

Turn off the heat.

Add butter and vanilla.  These dose cups from liquid meds are wonderful for flavorings.  All the ones I have left over from my previous life as a child-care provider stay right in the drawer with the measuring cups and spoons.  It's very handy to have a tablespoon of vanilla ready in a size-appropriate container.  And environmentally friendly.

I need to make more pan coat too.

Can you smell the deliciousness of caramel, butter, and sizzling vanilla?  Ohhhhh my!

It's time to beat the icing now, cooling it to spreading consistency.  The first couple of times I made caramel icing I actually used a wooden spoon and beat it by hand.  Like Mrs. Johnny did.  Until I found out Mrs. Phyllis used the mixer.  Life is easier if you plow around the stumps...

I have three dish cloths under the pot, protecting the counter from the heat, a pot holder to **snicker** hold the pot with (duh).  I suppose the process of beating and cooling the icing could be shortened by having a bowl of ice or ice water or maybe even chilled cloths under the pot.  I don't know.  If y'all have a shortcut and it works, let me know.  

I turn the mixer on high.  And beat until the icing begins to make soft ridges, turning the speed down when harder and deeper ridges begin to form.  I'll show you, although it probably won't make much sense until you do it.

 OOOOOoooooo... almost there!

I can turn the pot on its side and the icing won't come out.  I've got about five minutes to get the cake put together before Mrs. Johnny's caramel cake icing becomes soft caramel candy that won't spread.

See how thick it is?  Yet spreadable.  I'm sorry, I don't have any more time for photos until after the cake is put together.

What's left in the pot?  Why!  This is:

MMmmmhmmmm... Do you smell what I'm cooking?  Are you picking up what I'm throwing down?  Roll it up and put it in the refrigerator for breakfast with a cup of your favorite hot coffee.  I promise:  it's good for what ails ya!

And here it is.  It's not the loveliest caramel cake I've made, but I'd also put together that lasagna, baked it and needed to get out to the bosses' home.

Here's the recipe and directions, straight out of our church cookbook for

Johnnie's Caramel Cake

Duncan Hines butter recipe golden cake mix

four large eggs

1/3 cup oil

1/4 cup water

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup sugar

Mix cake mix with eggs, oil, water and sugar.  Beat until well mixed then add sour cream and beat until the cake batter is fluffy.  Have your pans ready.  Will bake 3 8" cake layers or 2 9" cake layers.  Heat oven to 375 and bake 23 to 28 minutes.

Caramel Icing

3 cups sugar

1 pint half and half cream

3/4 cup sugar to caramelize

1/4 stick butter (I use 1/2 stick 'cause I like to taste the butter)

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix sugar and cream in 5 quart boiling pot and begin to boil, stirring it. Be careful;  it will boil over easily.  Caramelize the 3/4 cup sugar in 6 inch iron skillet, stirring so it will not burn.  Be careful in pouring into the cream mixture;  it will boil over.  It is best to turn the fire off.  Stirring constantly while cooking, use candy thermometer and cook to 250 degrees.  remove from heat and add 1/4 stick butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla.  Beat until creamy and still warm.  Spread on the layers and side of cake.

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I'm so thankful I know how to make Mrs. Johnny Lott's Caramel cake.  It's a work of time and temperance; a symbol of great affection and deep devotion.  It cannot be bought.  Almighty, grant me the love and grace to make more of them...

Back to Reality, Kara's Cake Strawberry Filling Recipe and Not a Whole Lot More in Particular

It's been kind of a busy week in Greene County of Southeast Mississippi.  In the restricted reality in which I exist, the children I keep as a home-based child care provider were coming back from the week's hiatus called Spring Break.  They had to be patiently and gently prodded into observing manners, particularly being patient and not prodding each other, also getting back to a small amount of self-sufficiency lacking in their homes.  And critical thinking skills.  There's nothing like a week with parents, grandparents, and older siblings to turn a well-mannered young Southern Lady or Gentleman back into a youngster that asks "You know what?" five times in a single sentence, chews with mouth open (YIKES!  Is there anything worse than hearing someone's food go around and round in their mouth as they're chewing while sitting at the table with you???) and with elbows propped on the table.  They've forgotten basic social skills such as waiting their turn to talk or play.  It was expected.  The cold front coming through wasn't though and I found myself scurrying to make giant paper hats from newspaper to cover the tomato plants that are almost tall enough to be staked.  Yep.  And in true Deep South form, the grass needed mowing two days later.

Thursday was spent working on cakes.  The cakes I make are almost all layer cakes.  I make a few pound cakes, cheese cakes, cupcakes, pies and a bit of candy, too - but the real income enhancers are mostly layer cakes, with or without homemade specialty fillings and icings.  They're heavy;  a single sheet of cardboard won't hold even a small one and so I cut my own from industrial cardboard salvaged, i.e. snatched, from the dumpster at the furniture store on Main Street.  I cover it pretty and appropriately for whatever the cake is for. 

This week I had four rather large cakes to get out.  One of them was for Darla's step-daughter, Kara.  Darla is quickly approaching forty-something.  We go way back.  She's the baby in her family too, so she understands very well the mistaken opinion folks have of thinking you're spoiled simply because you're the baby.  When she was in my mother's kindergarten, her own mom had to be at work well before the school and kindergarten day started.  She was dropped off at our house, still asleep more often than not.  Mama would put her in bed with me and we'd finish our sleeps together.  We'd lollygag about getting out of bed and stress Mama's last good nerve at trying to get me to school and her and Darla to the kindergarten on time.

Over the years, there were several youngsters that piled up in the bed with me in the early hours of the morning when their own mamas had to get to work.  When you take children in your care, the way Mama did and I do now, they become your own for the day and get treated just like yours - actually better, because you're done with them at the end of 10 or 12 hours and get a bit of rest when they go home.  I don't know if it bothered Mama or not, taking in a child that early, perhaps I should ask her.  I don't think it did, though.  She still loves those also-aging ladies as well as she did when they were in her care.

Anyways.  Darla's Kara and my oldest son graduated high school together and I feel like I know her pretty well.  Her favorite cake is a butter cake with strawberry filling and cream cheese icing.  This is all about the strawberry filling.  I'm sharing my recipe with you.  See?  I'm not spoiled at all!  AND, before going any further - this is the way I do it, okay?  Once you make it, it becomes your recipe.  Cook it the way you like;  amend the ingredients.  It's no skin off my back and I'll be absolutely tickled you thought enough of it to try it anyways.  Hmmmm... Maybe I am a little spoiled?

This is what you'll need:

And an 8 cup measuring cup for the microwave.  Or you can cook it on the stove.  But who likes standing there stirring and waiting for something to boil and thicken?  Nuke the stuff!

Put the dry ingredients in a food processor and give it a little whiz to get the granulated sugar, potato starch, and strawberry jello all mixed together.

 I used to use corn starch and it is easily substituted here by adding another tablespoon (or is it two?).  I've a grand niece with severe food allergies that I'm slowly but surely adapting lots of recipes to become Caroline-friendly.  This is one of them.

You can do this with a whisk.  I like the food processor, though, because I like a smmmmooth (<-- two syllable word there) strawberry filling.  Add the strawberries to the dry stuff and process until **giggle** smooth.

There's the large measuring cup.  A couple of years ago Pampered Chef parties were all the rage in the area.  I purchased two of these.  They've been in constant use.  Pour the amalgamation of strawberries and sugar and potato starch and jello into the measuring cup and cook on high in the microwave for ten minutes.  Stir it and put it back in for two minute intervals several times or until it looks like this:

It's very thick.  Some recipes for cooked fruit fillings add flavorings and butter at this point.  It's up to you.

Cover with plastic wrap to keep from forming a nasty hard skin on top and let cool.  To assemble a cake, pipe a border of icing around the edges to keep the filling from oozing out the sides, add filling, and smooth out to edge.

It looks like an 'a' doesn't it?  Not a script A, either, just an 'a' for awesome.

 Repeat with rest of cake layers.

In my fervor to get the process documented I forgot to take the photo of the crumb coated cake.  To decorate a cake pretty, it needs a thin coating of icing slathered on all the exposed surfaces to set firmly and seal all the crumbs in place.  Or I do, at least.

Decorate as desired.

Nom-a-licious!

Those ingredients are:

1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons (or roughly half a small box) strawberry jello
8 tablespoons potato starch
24 ounces sweetened sliced strawberries

Combine dry ingredients in food processor and pulse a few times to thoroughly mix.  Add strawberries and process until smooth.  Pour into microwave safe container and heat on high for 10 minutes.  Stir.  Return to microwave for 2 minutes, stir again, and repeat until thick.  Cover with plastic wrap and let cool.

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So that's the big thing I've done for myself and the blogosphere this week:  actually write down a recipe I've eyeballed for several years and post it for posterity's sake.  

These were the other cakes done Thursday and early this Friday morning:

And one last thing:  I turned the air conditioner on.  I had said I was going to wait until I was miserably hot to turn it on, until all that miserable cold from January and February in the Deep South couldn't possibly be recollected.  But the cakes demanded less humidity.  The condensation on the crumb coat formed the moment they were brought out of the refrigerator and was a barrier to decorating.  I had to turn it on.  For the sake of the cakes.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.