MACE CAKE

Mace Cake image

Yield Makes 10 to 12 (dessert) servings

Number Of Ingredients 9

4 large eggs
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon ground mace
1 cup whole milk
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
Accompaniment: lightly sweetened whipped cream

Steps:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 13- by 9-inch baking pan, knocking out excess flour.
Beat eggs with 2 cups sugar in a large bowl using an electric mixer at high speed until tripled in volume and thick enough to form a ribbon that takes 2 seconds to dissolve into batter when beater is lifted, 7 to 8 minutes in a stand mixer or 14 to 16 with a handheld.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and 1 tablespoon mace.
Bring milk and butter to a boil in a small heavy saucepan, then remove from heat.
Add flour mixture to egg mixture, stirring until just combined. Stir in hot milk mixture until combined (batter will be thin).
Stir together remaining 1/2 cup sugar and remaining 1/2 teaspoon mace in a small bowl.
Pour batter into baking pan and sprinkle evenly with mace sugar. (Sugar will form a crust as cake bakes.) Bake until pale golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.
Cool cake in pan on a rack until warm, at least 30 minutes. Cut into squares and serve warm or at room temperature.