Why It Works
- Vegetable shortening keeps the texture moist.
- Cream cheese adds a pleasant lactic tang.
- Swirling melted chocolate into the batter adds another layer of flavor as well as visual interest.
I had a cake not too long ago that I'd never heard of before. It was at a big holiday dinner, and it had been purchased specifically for one person who didn't like dessert. Not even a little. Wouldn't go near the stuff. Except for this cake.
All I knew is that it was called Philly fluff, and there's this one bakery that specializes in making it (though it seems there are always several "this one" type bakeries when a signature item is involved...) When I saw it, I can't say I was super impressed. It looked like an angel food cake with powdered sugar dusted on top. Big deal, right?
The flavor? It wasn't bold or assertive at all; or really even a flavor (besides vanilla). But it was sweet, moist, squishy, and buttery, with drifts of powdered sugar on top. A big loaf of comfort, more or less.
The moistness made me think there was oil involved, but from the taste it was pretty clear that a heavy dose of butter had been on the scene as well. I could see how this might appeal to someone who's not into shi-shi or overly complicated sweets. I was intrigued. Where exactly in Philly did this cake come from? Who named it Philly fluff? And why wasn't it the least bit fluffy in texture?
I forgot about it until my mom attempted a recreation a month or two later. It was really good—but it wasn't a Philly fluff. It was a plain ol' delicious pound cake. I figured it must have been the wrong recipe. So I did some research of my own, and settled on a chocolate-swirled version that popped up the most often.
"Philly, I can only assume, refers to the cream cheese in the recipe."
Philly, I can only assume, refers to the cream cheese in the recipe. The cake apparently originated in Long Island, and I wonder if we'll ever know where the "fluff" came from. But the cream cheese does lend it a faint tang, and keeps the crumb tender and moist. Well, that, and the shortening.
Now, I don't use shortening that often when I bake. I know it can have a place in a pie crust but I prefer the flavor of butter. If I want moistness in a cake or something, I use oil or applesauce or a combination of the two. Shelf-stable fat kind of creeps me out. But here's the thing: Shortening makes baked goods reeeeeally delicious in a grocery-store muffin kind of way, or like those little pound cake slices that come individually wrapped.
So this Philly fluff, while still falling short of the one baked by the pros, came out richly flavored yet not heavy with a delightfully crispy brown crust on the outside. This is a very lightly adapted Bruce Zipes recipe from Bruce's Bakery Cookbook. The end result is big, so it's good for a potluck offering. If you have extra, just wrap it up and freeze it. You can thaw it out when you have some berries and whipped cream handy (or when you just want a slice of cake).
In Conclusion...
1. Philly Fluff is not actually that fluffy.
2. A little shortening can have its place.
3. For the love of Pete, invite some friends over if you make this. It's a lot of cake.
February 2011
Recipe Details
Philly Fluff Cake Recipe
Ingredients
10 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups granulated sugar, divided
6 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt or tube pan.
In a large bowl, cream together cream cheese, butter, and shortening with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. In a smaller bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture and mix on low speed until blended - it will be very thick.
Gradually add 1 cup of sugar and eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and remaining 1 cup sugar and continue beating, scraping down sides of bowl once or twice, until batter is smooth.
Pour half of mixture into prepared pan. Top with melted chocolate and swirl a knife through the batter to marble it. Top with remaining batter.
Bake for 60 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert cake onto a platter and cool completely. Before serving, dust with a generous amount of confectioners' sugar.
Special Equipment
Hand mixer, tube or Bundt pan
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
---|---|
411 | Calories |
25g | Fat |
41g | Carbs |
6g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
---|---|
Servings: 16 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 411 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 25g | 32% |
Saturated Fat 13g | 66% |
Cholesterol 107mg | 36% |
Sodium 279mg | 12% |
Total Carbohydrate 41g | 15% |
Dietary Fiber 2g | 7% |
Total Sugars 26g | |
Protein 6g | |
Vitamin C 0mg | 0% |
Calcium 75mg | 6% |
Iron 3mg | 15% |
Potassium 142mg | 3% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |