Leah Chase's Butter Cake
I met Leah Chase in the kitchen of Dookys Chases Restaurant in New Orleans seventh ward about three years ago. A longtime friend of mine named Judy Walker, who had written about food for years for the Times-Picayune, knew I had just enough time in New Orleans for one meal. In Judys mind that meal had to be at Mrs. Chases restaurant because her fried chicken had been voted the best in the city. And also because of the gumbo, stewed okra, red beans and rice, collard greens, peach cobbler and pretty much anything on the buffet that day. That meal is still on my mind, and so is the one-of-a-kind Mrs. Chase. She was married to jazz musician Dooky Chase, who died just this past November. And it was Dookys parents who started the restaurant on Orleans Avenue in 1941.
I met Leah Chase in the kitchen of Dookys Chases Restaurant in New Orleans seventh ward about three years ago. A longtime friend of mine named Judy Walker, who had written about food for years for the Times-Picayune, knew I had just enough time in New Orleans for one meal. In Judys mind that meal had to be at Mrs. Chases restaurant because her fried chicken had been voted the best in the city. And also because of the gumbo, stewed okra, red beans and rice, collard greens, peach cobbler and pretty much anything on the buffet that day. That meal is still on my mind, and so is the one-of-a-kind Mrs. Chase. She was married to jazz musician Dooky Chase, who died just this past November. And it was Dookys parents who started the restaurant on Orleans Avenue in 1941.
- Carbohydrate 121.07451671 g
- Cholesterol 105.75 mg
- Fat 3.43959714194445 g
- Fiber 1.8114444952541 g
- Protein 11.8829755555556 g
- Saturated Fat 0.917705428388889 g
- Serving Size 1 1 (208g)
- Sodium 37.5721047527778 mg
- Sugar 119.263072214746 g
- Trans Fat 0.715667123827778 g
- Calories 571 calories
Step-by-step
- Place a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10-inch tube pan with vegetable shortening or soft butter, and dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour and set the pan aside. (If the eggs are straight from the refrigerator, place them in a large bowl of warm water to come to room temperature).
- Cut the sticks of butter into 6 to 8 tablespoons each, and place all the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-high until the butter is in one mass, 1 minute. Stop the mixer and add the powdered sugar. Drape a kitchen towel over the top of the mixer so you don't get showered with sugar. Start on low speed and blend the sugar to incorporate. Then increase the speed to medium and let the mixture beat until creamy, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Crack one egg at a time and add to the butter mixture, beating on medium-low until blended. Add another egg, beating again, and stop the machine after every two eggs are added, and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Repeat with the remaining eggs.
- With the machine off, add the flour to the mixture. Add salt, if desired. Mix on low speed to incorporate the flour, 30 seconds. Add the vanilla, and on low speed blend 15 seconds more.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl with the spatula, and turn the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Place the pan in the oven.
- Bake until the cake is well browned and the center springs back to the touch, 58 to 62 minutes. A toothpick inserted should come out clean. Remove the cake from the oven, and let it cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Then run a knife around the edges, shake the pan gently to loosen the cake, and turn it out once, then again onto a rack to cool right-side up. Let cool 30 minutes to 1 hour before slicing.
What happens if cold eggs meet room-temperature butter in a heavy-duty mixer? Emulsions break, the fat seizes into distinct globules rather than incorporating smoothly, and the resulting batter curdles long before the flour ever touches the bowl. Achieving a fine, even crumb requires understanding how thermal energy and mechanical agitation govern protein coagulation and starch hydration. Because this formulation relies heavily on the physical trapping of air during the initial creaming stage rather than chemical leaveners, every variable from the starting temperature of the dairy to the specific protein content of the flour dictates the final height and density of the baked dessert.
Controlling Fat, Flour, and Thermal Dynamics
Cake flour contains approximately eight to nine percent protein, significantly lower than standard all-purpose flour, which reduces gluten network formation and yields a tender, melt-in-the-mouth texture. Sifting the flour once after measuring breaks up dense clumps that would otherwise absorb moisture unevenly, while incorporating air pockets essential for a light structure. When substituting standard salted butter for the specified unsalted four sticks, reduce any added salt by one-quarter teaspoon per stick to maintain balance, though unsalted dairy remains preferable for precise sodium control. Butter must be soft to the touch yet still retain its structural integrity at roughly 65 degrees Fahrenheit so it can fold over sugar crystals and shear them into microscopic pockets capable of expanding under heat.
- If the eggs are cold, submerge them in warm tap water for ten minutes to raise their internal temperature quickly without cooking the whites.
- Bake the batter in a 350-degree oven on the center rack for 58 to 62 minutes until a wooden skewer inserted into the thickest part emerges clean.
- Cool the baked cake inside its greased 10-inch tube pan for precisely 20 minutes before releasing the edges with a thin paring knife.
