Devilish Chocolate Cake

This cake was highly reminiscent of a Devil Dog. Remember those from your lunchbox days? Or maybe you eat them now, and no memory is needed. If this is the case - here - let me pour you a HUGE glass of milk to wash it down. You'll need it. Getting back to the story, remember them? I do. Even though they weren't my favorite. I was all about the Funny Bones. Chocolate cakes with a peanut butter filling enrobed in a shell-like milk chocolate frosting. Those were my idea of heaven. "Back in the day." The Devil Dog was my Mom's favorite. A few weeks ago she bought a box during a fit of nostalgia. Purely for old times sake I ate one. They were awfully dry - the word cement comes to mind. It was hard to chew no less swallow the lump of cake. More cream was clearly needed. There wasn't even enough to squish out the sides and lick off like an ice cream sandwich, my usual method for eating them. I hope my memory isn't marred now...

My Mom made this cake without intending for it to taste like a Devil Dog. I tasted 'it' in the very first bite. It was the devil dog glory that lives, if only in my mind. Rich, dense, with the distinct chocolate taste and sticky, sweet frosting of my memories. But this was far better than the real Devil Dog I had tasted just a few weeks ago. Memories are like that sometimes; glorified by our minds...And I wouldn't have it any other way. That's part of what makes them so special, part of what fuels our nostalgic feelings, and the longing for the "good old days" of our youth, a simpler time, when a Devil Dog in our lunch box meant everything.

Chocolate Devil Dog Cake with Seven Minute Marshmallow Frosting
(Adapted from The Cake Bible)

1/2 cup and 3 tablespoons unsweetened Cocoa, Dutch-processed
1 cup boiling water
3 Eggs
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
2 cups Sifted All-Purpose Flour
1 and 1/2 cups Sugar
1 tablespoon Baking Powder
3/4 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Unsalted Butter, softened

Preheat oven to 350.

Prepare pans, two 9-inch or one 13x9x2 inch. greased and floured.

In a medium bowl whisk together the cocoa and boiling water until smooth. Cool to room temperature.

In another medium bowl whisk the eggs, 1/4 of the cocoa mixture, and vanilla.

In a large mixing bowl combine the remaining dry ingredients and whisk together. Add the butter and the rest of the cocoa mixture. Mix on low speed using an electric hand mixer until flour is moistened. Then mix on medium for 1 and 1/2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and gradually add the egg mixture in 3 batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition.

Divide batter evenly between the two pans, or to one large pan.

Bake layers for 25-35 minutes, large pan 35-40, check done-ness by inserting a fork or toothpick, when it comes out clean, remove.

Cool cakes in pans for ten minutes on wire racks. Remove from pans onto greased wire racks and cool to room temperature before frosting.

Notes:

Devil Dogs have a cream filling - the texture of the marshmallow frosting is not the same - but the flavor is, only better, fresher, and cleaner tasting. A whipped cream frosting would go really well with this.


Seven-Minute Marshmallow Frosting
(adapted from McCall's Book of Cakes and Pies)

2 Egg Whites (1/4 cup)
1 and 1/2 cup Sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup or 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

In the top of a double boiler* combine egg whites, sugar, corn syrup, and 1/3 cup water.

With an electric hand mixer beat 1 minute to combine ingredients.

Cook over rapidly boiling water, beating constantly for 7 minutes or until stiff peaks form.

Remove from boiling water, add vanilla, beat until frosting is thick enough to spread about two more minutes.

*You can use a stainless steel mixing bowl fitted on top of a saucepan or a smaller pan fitted on top of a larger one. Just make sure the boiling water doesn't touch the bottom of the pan.

Print Recipe

The very sweet and talented Barbara of Barbara Bakes and Xagave sent me this huge bottle of Organic All Natural Agave Nectar. Agave Nectar is low glycemic and a complete sugar replacement. I haven't had the chance to bake with it - yet - but I have been using a drizzle of it on my Greek yogurt and in my Oatmeal. It is incredibly sweet, a little goes a long way. When using it to replace sugar in baking it is 2/3 cup Agave for every cup of sugar. I will for sure be using it in my baking for the upcoming holidays.

Here are some recipes:

Raspberry Peach French Toast from Barbara Bakes

Double Chocolate Bitter Brownies from Dishing Up Delights

Thanks Barbara and Xagave!

Last, but not least, I leave you with Moon, The Kitchen Cat. I should know better than to turn my back on my food. See how sweet and innocent he appears? If you look closer you will notice his Whip Cream Mustache.

  The Little Devil!