Chocolate dribble cake
Makes
one 2-layer 9-inch cake
You can
go fancy with the chocolate, like Scharffen Berger or
Valrhona, but I'm pretty sure Grandpa used Baker's.
The frosting takes from 15 to 35 minutes, depending on how hot the water is and
how fast you beat. Once you have the right consistency (Grandpa never found a
precise way to describe that, but you want it thickish
and somewhat granular), frost the cake right away - otherwise the frosting will
harden. The frosting shouldn't be too soupy, or it will never properly
solidify. If you leave it on the heat too long, it will turn over-granular and
harden before you have a chance to get it on the cake, making it difficult to
spread.
The cake has two chocolate layers
and two kinds of frosting.
(Food styling/karoline
boehm goodnick;
dominic chavez/globe staff)
CAKE
butter (for the pans)
flour (for the pans)
1/2 cup whole milk
4 ounces unsweetened
chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking
powder
1 teaspoon baking
soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
(1 stick), at room temperature
1 1/4 cups
sugar
3 eggs,
separated
1/2 cup our milk made with 1/2
whole milk
mixed with 1
teaspoon white vinegar
1. Set the oven at 350 degrees. Have on hand two
9-inch cake pans. Butter them, then dust with flour,
tapping out the excess.
2. In the top of a double boiler over hot water,
combine the milk and chocolate. When the mixture is smooth, remove the top from
the water, wipe the bottom of the pan, and set it aside to cool.
3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking
soda, and salt twice.
4. In a large bowl with a wooden spoon, cream the
butter. Gradually add the sugar, egg yolks, and the chocolate mixture.
5. Stir the flour mixture into the batter
alternately with the sour milk.
6. In an electric mixer, beat the egg whites
until stiff. Quickly fold the whites into the batter. Do not over-mix (there
should be small bits of egg white still visible).
7. Divide the batter between the pans, spreading
it to the edges. Place a small pan of water in the oven (this will keep the
cakes moist). Bake the layers for 25 to 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted
into the cakes comes out clean.
8. Cool the cakes in the pans for 30 minutes,
then tip them out of the pans and let them cool completely on a rack.
FROSTING
1 3/4 cups sugar
6 Tablespoons cold water
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
or mint extract
1. In the top of a double boiler over simmering
water, combine the sugar, water, and egg whites. With a hand-held electric
mixer, beat at low speed as the frosting heats up. Keep beating until the
frosting leaves a small mound when you turn off the motor and pull up the
beaters.
2. Remove the pan from the heat, and keep beating
the frosting until it cools; it will thicken. Add vanilla or mint extract.
3. On a cake platter, place one layer of cake
upside down; frost it. Place the other layer of cake right-side up on the
first; frost the top and sides of both layers.
DRIBBLES
1 ounce unsweetened
chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon butter
1. In a saucepan, combine the chocolate and
butter.
2. Cook over low heat until the chocolate melts
and the mixture is smooth. Let it cool slightly.
3. With a mixing spoon, dribble the melted
chocolate mixture over the frosted cake so some falls down the sides.
—
Lucia Huntington
Source: The