Neiman Marcus Cake

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The best part about living in a different country from where I grew up is that I come across new and unique things almost daily, even after seven years of living in DC.

On a recent shopping trip a friend told me of a cake called Neiman Marcus. A cake named after a department store, only in America. Being a gay he denied ever eating it (although you’d never guess) so he wasn’t sure what was in it or if it had any relationship to its namesake. However, he was kind enough to find a recipe for me — knowing my love of spending money and food it seemed like the perfect way to keep me from an afternoon at the mall.

Apparently my lack of baking skills really showed with this one — check out what happened after the jump.

The recipe is simple enough, a box cake mix topped with half a pound of cream cheese, a pound of powdered sugar, two eggs, two tsp of vanilla extract and a cup of pecans. Bake for 40 minutes on 350.

I can’t really figure out exactly what happened as I don’t know. I made the boxed cake mix as per the instructions, mixed the other five ingredients and layered the cake mix over them. During the baking process the sponge started to take over the cream cheese. I’m guessing the cheese was too heavy for the mix. My twitter plea went unanswered.

I thought about tagging this as a Friday Fuck Up — but you know what, it tastes fucking amazing, the smoothness of the cream cheese and the crisp sponge that engulfed it is a great combination of textures, almost like a sweet and tangy cheese sandwich.

Keep this cake in mind on your next shopping spree, and always buy one size up — I do.

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10 comments

  • Sylvie July 28, 2010  

    After Christmas, Neiman Marcus has a sale and my mom and her sisters always buy up the sweets because they are so delicious. They have these boxes little cakes that were soaked in rum and taste so good.

    This looks better. I’ll try to make it for my mom when I head back to California next month.

  • Alex Nicholson July 28, 2010  

    I think it’s going to come down to temperatures on this. How hot was your apartment? Humidity levels? Was the cream cheese cold or room temp? Same for the eggs? It looks good, and doesn’t seem like you overbeat the cake batter. The unknown could be how old the box cake mix was, and if the leaveing agents in there went manky.

    Could you reattempt with a homemade cake? And then bring it to me in bed on a Saturday morning to taste?

  • Britannia July 28, 2010  

    @Alex, you always tickle me pink!

    The eggs were room temperature, the cream cheese was bought from the fridge but I did leave it on my stoop for a half hour to soften up and the cake mix appeared fresh from the shelves of Whole Foods.

    The AC was working at the time I baked this thing. It failed a day later!

  • Alex Nicholson July 28, 2010  

    I’m always careful about baking in the heat. If I’m doing breads I keep it warm. Sweet things like cake and cookies I crank the AC to almost uncomfortably cold.

    But for real, it looks yummy.

  • "A Gay" July 28, 2010  

    I feel honored (honoured). I never got any to taste, though. Next time?

    Next time try the American Eagle torte…j’dore!

  • Britannia July 28, 2010  

    @”A Gay” I was only saving you from yourself, or should say your waistline, this thing does have half a pound of cream cheese and a pound of sugar.

  • Jeanie February 13, 2011  

    Your cake is perfect. It is meant to fall. It always does this if you do it right.

  • marla February 27, 2011  

    Love Neiman Marcus and any cake named after it would have to be grand.

  • Megan March 3, 2011  

    I’ve head of the cookie but never the cake. I think it looks delicious!

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