Feather Cake Is the 100-Year-Old Cake That Lives Up to Its Name
At over 100 years old, feather cake could use a bit of updating. This easy version is still a lightly spiced cake with cream cheese frosting, but it lives up to its name, with a tender and fluffy texture.
I know I’m not the only one who has been coaxed into a baking project because of a promising recipe title, which is why I felt a mix of luck and empathy when I came across Sheryl Lazarus’s post about feather cake on her blog, A Hundred Years.
Expecting a light and velvety cake, she deemed it delightful but noted that didn’t live up to the name. As published, I had to agree with her that it was definitely not light as a feather. So, I embarked on a mission to adjust the recipe, making it as feather-light as possible without straying too far from the over-100-year-old original.
When I tried baking the cake as written, it was dense and had a tough crust. A crust generally forms on a cake when there is too much sugar relative to other ingredients, so I added another egg and increased the fat. Oil makes a cake moister and softer, helping achieve a feather-light texture.
Adjusting the ratios of the ingredients made quite a difference, but the biggest improvement came from adapting how the cake is mixed. In the original recipe, all the ingredients are added to the bowl at the same time and mixed to combine, a technique that is sure to make a dense cake.
In my updated version, I start by beating the eggs and sugar until pale and thick, aerating the batter like in a sponge cake. Then, I add the remaining ingredients gently to avoid deflating the batter. The result is a fluffy, lightly spiced cake that lives up to its name.
What Is Feather Cake?
Feather cake is a vintage spiced cake recipe likely dating back to the late 1800s. It likely got its name not because it was truly feather-light, but because it was lighter than the more common pound cake. While a pound cake has equal proportions of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour, feather cake uses less butter and eggs, and adds milk, lightening the batter.
Make Cupcakes or a 9x13-Inch Cake
This cake batter is versatile, baking well in the original 8-inch square pan, as cupcakes, or in a 9x13-inch pan for a large cake.
To make cupcakes, mix one batch of the cake. Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with paper liners. Use a cookie scoop or a couple of spoons to divide the batter into 12 cupcakes. Bake at 350°F until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean, about 22 minutes. If you plan on piping the frosting on the cupcakes, you may want to double the frosting and add an extra 1/4 to 1/2 cup of powdered sugar for a thicker consistency.
To make a 9x13 cake, double both the cake and the frosting. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Grease an 8-inch square pan with butter and dust with flour, tapping out the excess.
Combine the dry ingredients:
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
Make the batter:
In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the sugar and eggs on medium-high speed until pale and thick, about 2 minutes. Add the oil and vanilla extract and beat to combine, about 30 seconds.
Add half of the flour mixture. Switch to a rubber spatula and fold the dry ingredients into the batter just until combined. Add the milk and mix until smooth. Add the rest of the flour mixture and gently fold just until combined.
Bake:
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the edges of the cake begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
Let the cake cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack before frosting.
Make the cream cheese frosting:
In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and continue beating at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
Use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the frosting over the top of the cake in an even layer.
Slice and serve. Store the cake, covered, for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Love the recipe? Leave us stars and a comment below!
