Time to Loaf

When the bowls and butter come out and it's time to heat up the winter kitchen and bake something sweet, we most often want a simple, old-fashioned cake. We're after something that has a satisfying heft on the plate yet still offers a subtle flavor and a fine, moist texture that makes frosting superfluous. Cakes like these were made by housewives before baking powder was a standard pantry item, when the home baker beat the batter in a bowl with a spoon. Today, however, an electric mixer and a careful hand with the leavening help make an even lighter texture. Because citrus fruits are plentiful this time of year, we add grated lemon or orange rind - always beating it into the mixture with the sugar, so the oils in the rind perfume and brighten the batter right away. Besides a sprinkle of confectioners' sugar after baking, the loaves need no other adornment.

DATE AND NUT LOAF
MAKES 1 LARGE LOAF

Butter (for the pan)
Flour (for the pan)
1 cup walnuts
8 ounces pitted dates, snipped into small pieces
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda, cup canola oil
1 cup granulated sugar Grated rind of 1 orange
1 egg
1/2 cup orange juice
Confectioners' sugar (for sprinkling)

Set the oven at 325 degrees. Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan. Butter the parchment. Dust the pan with fl our, tapping out the excess.

Place the walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast the walnuts in the oven for 10 minutes or until they are fragrant. Remove them from the oven and set aside to cool. Chop the nuts coarsely.

In a bowl, toss the dates with 2 tablespoons of the flour. Add the nuts and stir well. Set aside.

In a bowl with a whisk, stir together the remaining flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.

In an electric mixer, combine the oil, sugar, and orange rind. Beat just until mixed, scraping down the sides of the bowl once.

Add the egg and beat until blended.

With the mixer set at low speed, beat half of the flour mixture into the batter. Beat in the orange juice, then the remaining flour.

Remove the bowl from the stand. With a wooden spoon, stir in the dates and walnuts. Transfer the batter to the pan.

Bake the cake for 60 to 65 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out almost clean (it might be a little sticky from the dates).

If at any point the top of the cake or the edges become too dark, cover the cake with a piece of foil, shiny side down.

Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Turn the cake out and set it right side up on the rack. Leave to cool completely.

Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar before cutting into thick slices. To store: Wrap the unsliced cake in foil and leave at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.

LEMON POUNDCAKE
MAKES 1 LARGE LOAF

Butter (for the pan) Flour (for the pan)
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar Grated rind of 2 lemons 3 eggs, lightly beaten Juice of 1/2 lemon
3/4 cup sour cream
Confectioners' sugar (for sprinkling)

Set the oven at 325 degrees. Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan. Butter the parchment. Dust the pan with fl our, tapping out the excess.

In a bowl with a whisk, stir together the 2 cups of flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.

In an electric mixer, cream the butter. Add the sugar and lemon rind. Beat for 2 minutes on medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl several times.

Add the eggs, a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the lemon juice. The batter may look curdled, but that's OK.

With the mixer set at low speed, beat the flour mixture into the batter alternately with the sour cream, beginning and ending with flour.

Spoon the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake the cake for 65 to 70 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Turn the cake out and set it right side up on the rack. Leave to cool completely.

Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar before cutting into thick slices.

To store: Wrap the unsliced cake in foil and leave at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.

ASK THE COOK: Two Sweet

What is the difference between sweet potatoes and yams? Are they interchangeable? What is the difference between light and dark brown sugar? When should each be used?

L.K.P. / / / Canton

Sweet potatoes that grow in North America are often called yams, which is a marketing term, not a scientific classification. True yams, those that grow in Africa, the Caribbean, and South America, bear no resemblance in shape, size, or color to the moist-fleshed varieties of sweet potato. A true yam can grow to more than 6 feet in length, has a scaly skin, a pinkish-white center, and a thick almost oily feel to the tongue. Recently, there have been efforts to stop the use of "yam" for sweet potato, but your question points out the lack of success. US Department of Agriculture regulations require the term "yam" be accompanied by "sweet potato" when referring to the North American tuber. In cooking, any of the white, red, or orange sweet potatoes may be used interchangeably.

Dark brown sugar is the perfect complement to the strong flavor of sweet potatoes in dishes such as candied yams, where a caramel color and intense sweetness are desired. At one time, brown sugars were a byproduct of the sugar refining process. Today, they are made by coating white sugar with the brown, richly flavored syrup we know as molasses. The more syrup, the darker the sugar. Strongly flavored dishes such as gingerbread or fruitcake are ideal for dark sugar. When a butterscotch flavor and lighter color are desired, as in cookies or blond brownies, use light brown sugar.

Answer by Peter J. Kelly, a chef-instructor at Johnson & Wales University.