Chocolate Blackout Cake?

[Linda in MO]

Has anyone made the Chocolate Blackout Cake from Cook's Country? It's also in my cookbook The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book on pg. 303.
http://www.bakingobsession.com/2008/...blackout-cake/

FYI: the recipe at the link doesn't include the weight of the flour in the cake batter and it's 7 1/2 oz. The cookbook also states to use "strong brewed coffee at room temp." And also lists the eggs and buttermilk to be at room temp.

[miller88]

Yes, I made it a couple of years ago for a coworker's birthday. I don't remember the specifics other than everyone loving it. And it is kind of different w/ the crumbs coating.

[Middydd]

I've made it. Some of the people I served it to said it was the best chocolate cake they'd ever had.

[ncredbird]

I have made this several times in the last year. It was the highlight of our son's 30th birthday celebration dinner. Especially good because it is not sugary sweet and the icing is more like chocolate mousse than icing. Will be the go to chocolate cake from now on.
Absolutely wonderful and worth the work.

[Linda in MO]

Thanks for the feedback guys! That's what I wanted to hear. I will make it for my friend's birthday then.

[dneilson]

my cookbook The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book on pg. 303.

Linda,
I am considering this cookbook (cookbook hoarder that I am). Has it become a special one in your collection? It's garnered wonderful reviews at Amazon. Would you personally rate it highly?
Thanks in advance.

Dolores

[Linda in MO]

Linda,
I am considering this cookbook (cookbook hoarder that I am). Has it become a special one in your collection? It's garnered wonderful reviews at Amazon. Would you personally rate it highly?
Thanks in advance.

Dolores

Dolores~love, love, love it! Tons of recipes and tons of pictures! I actually bought a copy for a friend (the one I'm going to make the cake for) for her birthday last year. And once I flipped though it, I knew that I had to have it and promptly ordered it for myself, too. Buy it! I don't think you'll be disappointed.

[Couperine]

Linda, thank you for asking about this, and I'm so glad it got great responses!! I've been looking at it almost everyday for a month as this year's birthday cake, and now I'm even more excited to get older!

[ChristieinMB]

Did you use 8 or 9" pans? One recipe says 8 the other 9.
I guess the 8 will be tall.

[tigermorris]

do you think I can sub splenda for any of the sugar to try to cut the calories back?

anyone make this?
feedback?

[Aninha]

I missed the post the first time so thanks for reviving it!
Looks like a yummy cake, I will save the recipe for sure!! Love the idea of the crumbs all around, looks so cool!
Ana

[ChristieinMB]

I made the cake and loved it, it is very rich, not too sweet.
Definitely will make it again.
As for the Splenda, I don't know, I've never tried using Splenda in a cake.

[ncredbird]

We have made the chocolate blackout cake several times and love it. It does not come across as a sweet cake but if you want to try I would start with half splenda and half sugar and see how it goes. I have found that I can sometimes detect a slightly bitter taste in products that I bake using all splenda. Ann in NC

[Linda in MO]

Well, I'm a little embarrassed, because I never did end up making this for my friends birthday last year...but she ended up making it for mine this past week! Anyway, it was absolutely delicious! My family and I all loved it! Yum, yum, yum!

[steavelee2]

Chocolate Blackout Cake Serves 10 to 12
Be sure to give the pudding and the cake enough time to cool or you'll end up with runny pudding and gummy cake.

Pudding
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar 1/4 cup cornstarch 1/2 teaspoon table salt 2 cups half-and-half 1 cup whole milk 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate , chopped 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cake
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), plus extra for greasing pans 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour , plus extra for dusting pans 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder 1 cup brewed coffee 1 cup buttermilk 1 cup packed light brown sugar 1 cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1. For the pudding: Whisk sugar, cornstarch, salt, half-and-half, and milk in large saucepan. Set pan over medium heat. Add chocolate and whisk constantly until chocolate melts and mixture begins to bubble, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in vanilla and transfer pudding to large bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on surface of pudding and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours or up to 1 day.
2. For the cake layers: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour two 8-inch cake pans. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in bowl.
3. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in cocoa and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Off heat, whisk in coffee, buttermilk, and sugars until dissolved. Whisk in eggs and vanilla, then slowly whisk in flour mixture.
4. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool layers in pans 15 minutes, then invert onto wire rack. Cool to room temperature, at least 1 hour.
5. To assemble the cake: Cut each cake in half horizontally. Crumble one cake layer into medium crumbs and set aside. Place one cake layer on serving platter or cardboard round. Spread 1 cup pudding over cake layer and top with another layer. Repeat with 1 cup pudding and last cake layer. Spread remaining pudding evenly over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle cake crumbs evenly over top and sides of cake, pressing lightly to adhere crumbs. Serve. (Cake can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)

[Linda in MO]

I finally got around to making this. It was a bit of a pain to make, but I thought it was awesome!

Next time I will sift my dry ingredients because my baked cake had a few small pockets of flour. Maybe I didn't mix it good enough? And I was worried I had to much batter for 8 inch pans, so I baked them in 9 inch pans. So since my layers were thinner, I skipped the cake crumb outer coating. I just split my layers and made a 4 layer cake. I was going to skip frosting the sides but I ended up w/enough frosting. I topped the cake w/chocolate curls to make it look more interesting.

And my frosting was so stiff after it was refrigerated, so I don't know if I chilled it too long or cooked it too long. Anyway, I mixed it up really good and then it became more spreadable.

[Donna P]

I've made it - it's wonderful. The rest is in the freezer and still tastes great frozen!! I didn't want it out or I would have eaten the whole thing!

[Middydd]

I topped the cake w/chocolate curls to make it look more interesting.

How the heck did you get such perfect chocolate curls?

It must have taken you hours!! Beautiful.

[Linda in MO]

How the heck did you get such perfect chocolate curls?
It must have taken you hours!! Beautiful.

Thanks! I just ran a vegetable peeler over the edge of a Lindt milk chocolate bar. If I remember right, I had to run it width wise rather than length wise to get it to make curls. It didn't really take very long.

[Aninha]

Cake looks delicious, and yes, the chocolate curls are perfect!!!
Awesome! It made my mouth water!
Ana

[blazedog]

I grew up on the "real deal" as there was an Ebinger's near my home. Here's the recipe for authentic Ebinger's Blackout Cake (crumbs essential). I made it once with my mother.


Ebinger’s All-Chocolate Blackout Cake


New York Cookbook:
From Pelham Bay to Park Avenue,
Firehouses to Four Star Restaurants...
by Molly O’Neill, 1992, Workman Publishing

Makes 10 to 12 servings

Cake
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 tablespoons boiling water
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
3/4 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

Filling
1 tablespoon plus 1 3/4 teaspoons unsweetened Dutch-process
cocoa powder
2 cups boiling water
3/4 cup plus 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 [to 4] tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon
cold water [see note]
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Frosting
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/2 cup hot water
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter and lightly flour two (8-inch) round cake pans.
2. Make the cake: Place cocoa in a small bowl and whisk in boiling water
to form a paste.
3. Combine the chocolate and milk in saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently until the chocolate melts, about 3 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. While the cake is baking, make the filling: 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.
8. Make the frosting: 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, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Return the top to the heat, if necessary, to melt the butter.
9. 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
prior to using.
10. Assemble the cake: Use a sharp serrated knife to slice each cake layer horizontally in half to form 4 layers. Set 1 layer aside. Place 1 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.
11. 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.

Note: Please note that these ingredients make a very runny filling that pleased the 12 devout Ebingerists who taste-tested different versions of this cake. Those who desire a less syrupy consistency can stir in an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons cornstarch.

[The now-defunct McKenzie’s Bakery of New Orleans baked a
dearly-beloved version of the Blackout Cake. We understand from local
aficionados that the filling in the McKenzie version was firmer, more like
pudding, therefore requiring 4 tablespoons of cornstarch.]

[Linda in MO]

I grew up on the "real deal" as there was an Ebinger's near my home. Here's the recipe for authentic Ebinger's Blackout Cake (crumbs essential).

Oh, I know that the crumbs make it authentic, but the people I served it to didn't know any better. Having a taller cake was more important to me in this instance.
Thanks for the recipe. I'll have to give it a try sometime.

[blazedog]

Oh, I know that the crumbs make it authentic, but the people I served it to didn't know any better. Having a taller cake was more important to me in this instance.
Thanks for the recipe. I'll have to give it a try sometime.

Ah philistines

The authentic Ebingers is not a short cake since each layer is split and filled. My mother did the splitting of the cake layers as she was a much more meticulous person than I -- the type that measures thrice and sews one as opposed to me that measures not at all.