Lethal Chocolate Cake

Last Edit December 22, 1999

From D:

Here is one cake that no one can resist - certainly not most men! I have made it low-cal (low-fat margarine, low fat buttermilk, even applesauce instead of shortening ), it is still good - but not the same.

This is listed as Favorite Chocolate Cake in more cookbooks than I care to list! It is a cake that tastes like a brownie. For variety, cover it in confectioner's sugar and sliced almonds. Or Add walnuts to the batter and cover in plain white icing. But the very best way to present it to the men in the family - serve warm with French Vanilla Ice Cream.

While in college, I spent summers with my stepmother and my father at their home in the country in Connecticut. I baked at night in the summer (no air conditioner) so it would be ready when we all came home from work. My father, whenever I made this, would not be able to sleep knowing it was in the kitchen. Invariably, he would get out of bed and into the kitchen he would go (getting my stepmother and I up in the process) and we would sit down at midnight and have a piece while it was still warm. He was always in baggy boxer shorts and a tank tee shirt and socks. Add heavy boots and you have his favorite outfit for working in the garden. We lost him years ago but I swear he is still there, in his garden, dressed just like that. And I can't make the cake without remembering him.

New Fudge Cake

Sift dry ingredients together (for even distribution):
1 7/8 Cups Gold Medal Flour (equivalent to 2 Cups Softasilk Cake Flour)
2 Cups Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt

Add the shortening and a 1/2 of the milk and beat 2 minutes:
1/4 Cup shortening (Crisco or softened margarine)
1 1/2 Cups milk
2 teaspoon Vanilla (pure)

Add the rest of the milk, vanilla with the eggs and chocolate and beat 2 more minutes***:
2 large Eggs
4 ounces melted Unsweetened Chocolate (cool)

Melt chocolate with 1 Tablespoon of the shortening in a heavy fry pan on low heat on the stove top - do not scorch. (Do not use a microwave - it kills the taste of the chocolate. See Melting Chocolate.

*** When adding the melted chocolate to the batter, beat the eggs in first to avoid cooking the eggs with the heated chocolate.

Spray Pam on two layer cake pans and then coat them with sugar (light coating) if you do not plan to use icing, coat them with flour if you do plan on icing the cake. (Put 1-2 Tablespoons sugar or flour into the pan and shake.) There should be no uncoated portion of the bottom or side of the pans. Use two 9-inch round cake pans or a 13x9x2 baking pan.

Heat oven to 350o F.

Mix all the rest of the ingredients while the chocolate is melting. Beat approximately 3 minutes with an electric mixer, stopping to scrape down the bowl occasionally. Cool the chocolate and beat it in slowly. (Hot chocolate will "cook" the eggs so pour it in slowly while beating.)

Pour into two 9-inch round cake pans or a 13x9x2 baking pan. Bake layers 30-35 minutes (bake baking pan 40-45 minutes) until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean. Edges of cake should be just drawing away from the edges of the pan.

Place pans on cooling rack [here we go - it's the wire rack thing again!]. Cake will "settle" a little as it cools. Pure seduction when warm! Turn out onto plates (top of cake turned down) while still warm. (Cake baked with pans coated in sugar has a light sugar crust.) Sift confectioner's sugar over the cake if desired. (Wait until it is cool or it will melt the sugar!)

Glass and Dark Pans

If you are using glass pans, reduce temperature to 325 o F. This is a good idea for all baking with glass dishes. Also, really dark pans have an adverse effect on baking. I don't recommend them for this cake.

Wax Paper Pan Lining

Wax paper trick: If you do not have non-stick baking pans, cut wax paper to fit into the bottom of the pan, then spray a coating of Pam on the wax paper and the sides of the pan. Shake with sugar as above. After baking, turn out cake. Peel off the wax paper. Perfect cake bottom! Ready for icing.

The only concession I would make to a diet is to use this - warm cake and ice cream - in lieu of dinner and then go for a walk! Like Bill Cosby says, "Chocolate cake. Eggs, milk, wheat, nutrition!"