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Ebinger's Chocolate Blackout Cake
Recipe

The History of Chocolate Blackout Cake

Makes 10 to 12 servings

CAKE
½ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 tablespoons boiling water
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
¾ cup milk
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened slightly
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, separated
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

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Chocolate Blackout Cake
from Cooks Illustrated

From
New York Cookbook: From Pelham Bay to Park Avenue, Firehouses to Four-Star Restaurants

by Molly O'Niell

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter and lightly flour two (8-inch) round cake pans. Place cocoa in a small bowl and whisk in boiling water to form a paste.

Combine the chopped chocolate and milk in saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently until the chocolate melts, about three minutes. Remove from the heat. Whisk a small amount of the hot chocolate milk into the cocoa paste to warm it. Whisk the cocoa mixture into the milk mixture. Return the pan to medium heat and stir for one minute. Remove and set aside to cool until tepid.

In the bowl of a mixer, cream the butter and sugar together. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, and the vanilla. Slowly stir in the chocolate mixture. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using a spatula or a wooden spoon, slowly add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture. Fold in until just mixed. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Using a spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the batter. Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans on rack for 15 minutes.
Gently remove the cakes from the pans and continue to cool.

FILLING
1 tablespoon plus 1 ¾ teaspoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 cups boiling water
¾ cup plus ½ teaspoon sugar
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped
4 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon cold water (use 2 tablespoons cornstarch for a runnier filling*)
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

While the cake is baking, combine the cocoa and boiling water in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir in the sugar and chocolate. Add the dissolved cornstarch paste and salt to the pan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for one minute. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla and butter. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, cover and refrigerate until cool.

FROSTING
12 ounces semisweet
chocolate, chopped
12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter
½ cup hot water
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over hot, not simmering, water, stirring until smooth. Remove the top of the double boiler from the heat and whisk in the butter, one tablespoon at a time. Return the top to the heat, if necessary, to melt the butter.

Whisk in the hot water all at once and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the corn syrup and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate for up to 15 minutes before using.

Assemble the cake: Use a sharp serrated knife to slice each cake layer horizontally in half to form four layers. Set one layer aside. Place one layer on a cake round or plate. Generously swath the layer with one-third of the filling. Add the second layer and repeat. Set the third layer on top. Quickly apply a layer of frosting to the top and sides of the cake. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, crumble the remaining cake layer. Apply the remaining frosting to the cake. Sprinkle it liberally with the cake crumbs. Serve the cake within 24 hours. Store in a cool place.

From Molly O'Neills "New York Cookbook".
**It has been suggested that instead of make the frosting, frost the cake with the filling recipe, made by using the runnier version and pressing the crumbs into the filling/frosting.
POSTED BY PATTIE KAYKES AT 6:59 PM
LABELS: CAKE RECIPE, CHOCOLATE CAKE, COPYCAT RECIPE, DESSERT

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Recipes

Erbinger's Chocolate Blackout Cake

This is from Molly Oneill's New York Cookbook

Molly Oneil was a New York Times Food critic that spent 5 years writing this book with recipes of many of the famous New York restaurants and bakeries.

 

Chocolate Blackout Cupcakes

This is the same recipe that takes a scoop out of the center of the
cupcake and fills it with the pudding then frosts it.

This recipe uses crushed chocolate wafers instead of the traditional cake crumbs.

This is the personal recipe that I use.

 

 

 

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