my mom and stepdad are coming to visit from nashville tomorrow, so i went with a downhome southern confection! over the past few years there has been some buzz over tennessee t-cakes, which are said to have originated from the time of the civil war…a young woman lured her lover to marry her by serving him these little delights. my mom sent me a recipe she found a few months ago and i have been meaning to try it out.
the recipe said that the batter would be sticky and ribbon-like, so i was pleased to find that mine was as well. it didn’t say how far to fill up the cups so i went with halfway, which seemed to work out well. when i read the recipe i knew better than to open up the oven and turn them halfway through baking, but i decided to trust the recipe. invariably, when i go to turn cupcake pans i have a less than perfectly steady hand, and today was no exception apparently. unfortunately, right before my eyes, the centers sunk in. i hoped that in the remaining few minutes they would magically rise again (hey, it *was* easter a few days ago)… but no such luck. the centers were down for the count.
i covered them in sugar and let them cool before trying one, as i could smell that the alcohol in the vanilla was still settling in. i must say that these are quite tasty, but i think they were less dense than the real thing, plus the caving in as opposed to slightly domed shape did take a bit away from the biting in experience.
Recipe, from various copy cat sites:
Tennessee T-cakes
(makes a Wilton mini tin full– 24 mini muffins)
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup salted butter, melted and hot
1 large egg
2 teaspoons bourbon vanilla
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
powdered sugar (for garnish)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Add the brown sugar and white sugar to the melted butter and set aside (some of the brown sugar will melt).
In mixer with paddle gently mix egg and bourbon vanilla.
Add the butter and sugar mixture to the egg mixture and beat on low until mixed well.
Add flour all at once to mixer. Mix well; you will see it look sticky and ribbon-like. Fill mini muffin cups about halfway.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 14 minutes, turning at 7 minutes (if you aren’t clumsy like me).
Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Keep in closed container after cooled.
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