1933 Devil's Food Cake Recipe

I got to thinking about what I was going to post today and after looking over the recipes I realized it's been awhile since I did a dessert one.  I made this cake back in February for Dad's Birthday but it's been sitting in my folder ever since because I was rather chuffed when I posted the picture to the Blog's Facebook Page as everyone was more interested in the red coffee pot than the cake.  I think that's why it took me so long to get around to posting this recipe.  The recipe for the cake comes from a 1933 advertisement for Baker's Chocolate.  You should know my modus operandi by now, I hate and despise anything that comes as a mix in a box, Devil's Food Cake is no exception so I was quite happy when I found this recipe and decided to give it a go and see how it turned out.  I was rather pleased by the result and I think you will be too.

Devil's Food Cake
Cake:
2C Sifted Cake Flour
2tsp Baking Powder
1/2tsp Baking Soda
1C Sugar
1/2C Shortening
2 Egg Yolks, Well Beaten
2 Egg Whites, beaten until soft peaks
3 squares Unsweetened Baker's Chocolate
1 1/4C Whole Milk
1tsp Vanilla

Sift Flour once, measure, add baking powder and soda and sift 3 times.  Cream shortening, add sugar slowly and cream until light and fluffy.  Melt chocolate and add to shortening mix along with egg yolks and mix well.  Add flour 1/4C at a time alternating with milk and beat smooth each time before adding more.  Mix in Vanilla and fold in beaten egg whites.  Line bottoms of 2 9" cake pans with parchment and grease sides with Spry Pan Coat Recipe*.  Divide batter between both pans and bake in 350° oven for 30 mins until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Remove to rack to cool completely.

Frosting:
4T Butter
3C Confectioner's Sugar
3/4tsp Vanilla
1/4tsp Salt
3 Squares Unsweetened Baker's Chocolate
4T Hot Milk (more if needed)

Cream butter and add 1/2 of sugar gradually blending well after each addition.  Add Vanilla, Salt and melted chocolate and mix well.  Add remaining sugar alternating with milk.  Add more milk 1T at a time to get perfect frosting consistency.

Spread some frosting on top of first layer of cake then top with 2nd layer.  Using the remaining frosting, spread evenly over top and sides and store cake in refrigerator until needed.

I know some of you were just dieing to hear the story about the coffee pot and I won't disappoint.  Strictly speaking it's not a coffee pot but a coffee biggin.  It has the white filter with a water spreader that fits over the filter.  To make coffee you put fine grind coffee in the filter and fit the water spreader over it then S L O W L Y drizzle boiling water over it.  It takes quite awhile to make a pot but it's worth it.  The coffee actually comes out double strength and needs to be diluted with hot water or hot milk (cafe au lait) before drinking.

*Spry Pan Coat is 1/2 C Shortening (Crisco) and 1/4 C All Purpose Flour.  Combine until the consistency of whipped marshmallow is reached (I used a whisk).  Will Store for up to a year in a sealed container in the pantry.  This stuff is excellent and doesn't burn like commercial non-stick spray.

Tweet