A Delicious Mid-century Cake That Deserves a Comeback!
It’s the Lazy Dayzee Cake by name. And it’s so yummy and easy to make it deserves some notice. You make it using one bowl and very little active time. This cake could also be called “Busy Day” cake for that reason.
It’s a simple affair that you can pull off using one bowl and precious little active time. It has a caramelized broiled topping that makes it very special, despite its ease of prep.
The Good Shepherd Cook Book, created and published in 1949 by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, Bay Ridge, New York, is where this charming recipe first showed up.
It’s essentially a hot milk sponge cake that’s baked in an 8x8-inch pan. Once it leaves the oven, you top it right away with a brown sugar and coconut frosting mixture. You then return it to the oven and broil until bubbly. Sara says the cake itself is plain; the topping is intensely sweet. But on the plate, the two come together to create perfect harmony.
Sponge cakes are springy cakes without much fat; their structure comes mostly from eggs. For this cake, you don’t need to beat the eggs and sugar much–a good 60-second whisking by hand will do it. Then you fold in flour and baking powder, followed by warmed milk plus a teensy cube of melted butter. Spongy-textured cakes are sturdy, making them nice for holding up to fillings and toppings. Plus, they’re hard to mess up.
And if you like the sticky-sweet, coconut-webbed frosting on a German chocolate cake, then Lazy Dayzee Cake is totally up your alley. While the cake bakes, you mix up brown sugar, cream, coconut, and melted butter. Then you spread it on the hot cake and slip it under the broiler to melt the sugar and get the coconut a little toasty. When the cake cools, you have a brittle layer on top that’s almost like candy. The combination of a spongy cake bite paired with a bit of crunchy-sweet topping is divine.
But it gets better the following day. The topping softens and partially disintegrates into the cake, imbuing it with a caramel flavor. Sara says that although the cake isn’t as fresh-looking at that point, the taste is even better.
It’s questionable as to whether you should mess with perfection, but if you want to experiment with this recipe, here are a few suggestions:
Increase the vanilla in the hot milk sponge cake to 2 teaspoons.
Toast the coconut before mixing up the topping. Yes, a few shreds of coconut will get toasty in the broiling step, but not enough that they are toasted-toasted.
Add finely chopped nuts (such as pecans) to the topping.
Create another layer of flavor by browning the butter when you melt it for the topping.
Here’s the thing, though: Whatever you do, do not omit the coconut. You need it to give the topping its structure–the lattice of coconut shreds supports the gooey caramel.
No matter your gender, marital status, or level of laziness, we’ve all had days when we want a sweet reward. And sometimes you have to bake it yourself. Sara says this is the reward to turn to. That said, I end with the recipe, and want to thank Sara for sharing it with us (www.simplyrecipes.com). Let’s try it and compare notes!
Lazy Dayzee Cake
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (135g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
TOPPING
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup (87g) sweetened coconut flakes
2/3 cup (154g) packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350∞F. Grease an 8x8-inch square baking pan.
2. Heat the milk and butter: Start by making the cake. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the milk and butter together until the butter is melted and the milk is steaming. Set aside.
3. Make the batter: Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Whisk together vigorously for about 60 seconds, until the color lightens and the mixture seems a bit thicker when it falls from the whisk. Beat out your aggressions, itís fun!
Add the flour to the bowl. Measure the baking powder into your palm and sprinkle it over the flour. If there are any lumps in the baking powder, crush them against your palm with your fingers.
Switch from a whisk to a spatula and fold the dry ingredients in until combined. Pour the warm milk and butter mixture over top and fold it in to make a slightly liquidy batter.
4. Bake: Scrape the batter into the greased pan and set aside the dirty bowl; youíll use it again in a bit.
Bake until the cake is puffed, golden at the edges, and its center springs back when you press it gently with your fingertip, about 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, make the topping: Over medium-low heat, melt the butter in the same saucepan you used to warm the milk.
In the same bowl you used for the batter (no need to wash it), mix the coconut, brown sugar, cream, salt, and melted butter. The topping will be a bit thick, but itíll thin out once it hits the cake.
6. Broil the topping: Right after the cake comes out of the oven, move the broiler rack up so itís about 5 inches away from the heating element.
Scrape the topping over the hot cake and spread it around evenly with a spatula. Slide the pan onto the rack and broil until the topping bubbles rapidly, about 3 minutes. Check on the cake every minute or so, for even broiling. You may need to rotate the pan after every minute.
7. Cool, then serve: Set the cake on a wire rack to cool completely, then slice and enjoy!
For leftovers, cover the cake with plastic wrap or foil. After a day or so, the topping will soften and melt into the cake a little, but it will still be delicious. Itís best to polish this cake off within 3 days.
2. Heat the milk and butter: Start by making the cake. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the milk and butter together until the butter is melted and the milk is steaming. Set aside.
3. Make the batter: Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Whisk together vigorously for about 60 seconds, until the color lightens and the mixture seems a bit thicker when it falls from the whisk. Beat out your aggressions, itís fun!
Add the flour to the bowl. Measure the baking powder into your palm and sprinkle it over the flour. If there are any lumps in the baking powder, crush them against your palm with your fingers.
Switch from a whisk to a spatula and fold the dry ingredients in until combined. Pour the warm milk and butter mixture over top and fold it in to make a slightly liquidy batter.
4. Bake: Scrape the batter into the greased pan and set aside the dirty bowl; youíll use it again in a bit.
Bake until the cake is puffed, golden at the edges, and its center springs back when you press it gently with your fingertip, about 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, make the topping: Over medium-low heat, melt the butter in the same saucepan you used to warm the milk.
In the same bowl you used for the batter (no need to wash it), mix the coconut, brown sugar, cream, salt, and melted butter. The topping will be a bit thick, but itíll thin out once it hits the cake.
6. Broil the topping: Right after the cake comes out of the oven, move the broiler rack up so itís about 5 inches away from the heating element.
Scrape the topping over the hot cake and spread it around evenly with a spatula. Slide the pan onto the rack and broil until the topping bubbles rapidly, about 3 minutes. Check on the cake every minute or so, for even broiling. You may need to rotate the pan after every minute.
7. Cool, then serve: Set the cake on a wire rack to cool completely, then slice and enjoy!
For leftovers, cover the cake with plastic wrap or foil. After a day or so, the topping will soften and melt into the cake a little, but it will still be delicious. Itís best to polish this cake off within 3 days.
Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.
Alice Osborne
DVO Newsletter Contributor since 2006
Email the author! alice@dvo.com
Sources:
- www.thescranline.com
- www.kingaurtherbaking.com
- www.inspiredbycharm.com
- www.simplyrecipes.com
