Title: Burnt Sugar Syrup
 Categories: Cakes
      Yield: 12 servings
 
    3/4 c  Sugar
    3/4 c  Boiling water
           BURNT SUGAR CAKE
      3 c  Sifted cake flour
      2 ts Baking powder
    1/2 ts Salt
    3/4 c  Unsalted butter, room
           -temperature
  1 1/4 c  Sugar
      3    Eggs, room temperature
    1/4 c  Burnt sugar syrup
           Water
      1 ts Vanilla
           Burnt Sugar Frosting (see
           -recipe)
           Pecan halves for decoration
           BURNT SUGAR FROSTING:
    1/4 c  Unsalted butter
      1 lb Powdered sugar, sifted
    1/4 ts Salt
    1/4 c  Burnt Sugar Syrup
      1 ts Vanilla
 
  Melt sugar in a skillet over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it
  turns into an amber-colored liquid. Turn off heat, and carefully add
  boiling water (mixture will bubble madly). Return the caramel to low
  heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until the sugar and water are
  thoroughly mixed and no lumps of sugar remain. Set aside to cool to
  room temperature.
  
  BURNT SUGAR CAKE: Adjust rack to lower third of oven; preheat at oven
  to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9-inch layer cake pans. Line
  with parchment or waxed paper rounds.
  
  Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Cream butter until
  smooth. Add sugar and continue creaming until light and fluffy. Add
  eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition until well blended. To
  the 1/2 cup of burnt sugar syrup add enough water to make 1 cup; stir
  in the vanilla.
  
  Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture alternately with the
  burnt sugar syrup mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients,
  until well blended and smooth. Divide the batter between the 2 cake
  pans.
  
  Bake about 25 minutes, or until the surface springs back slightly when
  lightly touched in the center, and the cakes con- tract from the
  pans. Cool 10 minutes on wire racks, then invert on racks, carefully
  peel off paper liners, turn baked side up, and cool completely before
  frosting. Fill and frost with Burnt Sugar Frosting. Decorate with
  whole pecan halves.
  
  BURNT SUGAR FROSTING: Cream 1/4 cup unsalted butter until light and
  fluffy. Gradually beat in 1 pound (1 box) powdered sugar, sifted with
  1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 cup Burnt Sugar Syrup and 1 teaspoon vanilla
  until creamy smooth and spreadable. If mixture is stiff, add water, a
  teaspoon at a time.
  
  PER SERVING (with frosting): 565 calories, 4 g protein, 91 g
  carbohydrate, 22 g fat (13 g saturated), 106 mg cholesterol, 216 mg
  sodium, 1 g fiber.
  
  Flo Braker writing in the San Francisco Chronicle, 10/2/91.