There’s this website, thecakeslicebakers.blogspot.com, that I’ve been stalking for months. It’s the home of the Cake Slice Bakers – a group that picks a cookbook and bakes from it once a month for a year. For the past year, they have been baking from Sky High: Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes. When I first discovered it this past spring, there was a note on the sidebar that said that they would not be accepting new bakers until August, since they were already halfway through their book.

I checked their website every single day in August, waiting for an announcement about the next round of baking. Then I did the same in September. Was I missing something? I couldn’t find any contact info anywhere on the site, so finally I found another blogger who was participating and begged her to let me in on the secret! Turns out it IS a secret! I got pointed into the right direction, got registered, and now have access to the super-secret blog that can only be accessed by members. ;)

I’m not sure how long they accept new members for, but if you’re interested in joining, drop me a line and I’ll teach you the secret handshake!

I was SO excited to find out that they are baking from Nancie McDermott’s “Southern Cakes” book this time round. I’ve had the book for a little over a year and have baked the Shenandoah Valley Blueberry Cake from it and have been eyeballing over the past few months, determined to explore it a little more!

The October Challenge was Nancie’s “Cinnamon-Pecan Coffee Cake”. Now, I have to admit, I’m not that big a fan of coffee cake. It’s ok…kind of. I prefer more sugary cakes. :) I do think this cake would have been very good though, if I hadn’t burnt the raisins. Only a few on the top burned, and they ended up looking like coffee beans, all puffed up and hollow. Not quite sure what happened there – I guess I baked it too long…or maybe it’s time to finally invest in an oven thermometer! Oh, and fair warning, this recipe uses a LOT of bowls…

Anywho, without further ado, I present…

CINNAMON-PECAN COFFEE CAKE

From Nancie McDermott’s “Southern Cakes – Sweet and Irresistible Recipes for Everyday Celebrations“, page 87.

INGREDIENTS:
Cinnamon-Raisin Filling
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups raisins
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) butter, melted

Coffee Cake
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-by-13 inch pan.

For the filling:
In Bowl #1, combine the light brown sugar, 3 Tbs flour, and cinnamon, mixing with a fork to combine.

In Bowl #2, combine the raisins and pecans, tossing to mix them. Set both of these bowls aside.

For the cake:
In Bowl #3, combine 3 cups flour, baking powder, and salt, whisking to mix them well.

In Bowl #4 (or a small liquid measuring cup), stir the vanilla into the milk.

In Bowl #5 (your big, mixing bowl), combine 1 cup butter and sugar, beating at high speed until it’s pale yellow and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat for about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides, until it’s smooth and light.

Now, gradually add flour mixture (Bowl #3) alternately with milk (Bowl #4) to your big bowl (Bowl #5), beginning with flour mixture. Stir only until each disappears.

Spread half of the batter evenly into the pan. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon mixture (Bowl #1) on top, followed by half of the melted butter. Scatter half of the raisin mixture (Bowl #2) over the top of this. Spread the remaining batter over the top again, and repeat with the cinnamon mixture, melted butter, and raisin mixture, covering the cake as evenly as possible.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, until golden brown. Cool the cake in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then serve right from the pan.