Whoopie Pie Cake, Part 1

You may know that I lead--more like, corral--the book group discussion at the Norfolk, Connecticut, library on select Fridays. Here's our room, ready for the group last week, the fire roaring for these cold winter days. Sort of a New England dream, no? We were set to discuss David Mitchell's THE THOUSAND AUTUMNS OF JACOB DE ZOET, an utterly sublime book, to be savored slowly. (If you want to know more about the group, check out our website here.)

Every time, I bring a treat of some kind. This time, a Whoopie Pie Cake, one of Bruce's original creations for THE ULTIMATE COOK BOOK, our 900-recipe tome. That's the cake right there on the table. It's a layer cake designed to mimick the Southern favorite--dense layers of chocolate cake with a creamy, luscious Italian meringue (no, not Marshmallow Fluff) center.

It was such a hit that I thought I'd share the recipe with you. I wish I could share the cake-- it was certainly a show-stopper. But here goes. I'm going to do this one in two posts. The chocolate layers first.

Begin by melting 1/2 cup (95 grams) solid vegetable shortening and 3 ounces (85 grams) chopped, unsweetened chocolate in a double boiler set over about an inch (3 cm) of slowly simmering water. If you don't have a double boiler, set a heat-safe mixing bowl over a medium saucepan with the same amount of simmering water. Make sure the heat is turned down so the water can't roil. Stir over the heat until about half the chocolate has melted, then remove the top half of the double boiler or the heat-safe bowl from the heat and stir on the counter until all the chocolate has melted. Set aside and cool for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325F (165C). Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans, making sure you coat the seams where the bottoms meet the sides.

Whisk all the following in a big bowl: 1 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (230 grams) cake flour (do not use all-purpose), 2 tablespoons (12 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon (2 1/2 grams) baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon (2 1/2 grams) salt.

Next, beat 1 1/2 cups (300 grams) sugar, 2 large eggs, and 1 large egg yolk in a second, big bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until thick, firm ribbons will fall back into the batter from the turned-off beaters, ribbons that do not instantly dissolve into the batter, about 5 minutes. Beat in the cooled chocolate mixture and 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract.

With the mixer at low speed, beat in 1/2 cup (120 ml) milk, then half the flour mixture. Even before all the flour has been dissolved, scrape down the insides of the bowl and beat in another 1/2 cup (120 ml) milk. Add the rest of the flour and beat at low speed just until combined.

Turn off, scrape down, and remove the beaters. Give the mixture a few more turns with a rubber spatula to make sure there are no bits of undissolved flour. Scrape and divide the batter into the prepared cake pans. Rap the pans against the counter once or twice to collapse any air pockets.

Bake until firm and springy to the touch, until a toothpick or a cake tester inserted into the cakes comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn the layers out onto the wire rack and continue cooling for 1 hour.

In the next post, the assembly of the cake--and the making of an Italian meringue. Check it out here.

Comments

[JenniferA]

That cake looks decadent! And that room is gorgeous. I'd love to sit there discussing books and eating whatever you bring. :-)