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Devil's Food Cake II
4 squares unsweetened chocolate 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup sweet milk Yolk 1 egg 1/4 cup butter 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup sour milk 1 egg 1 1/8 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon soda 1/2 teaspoon vanilla Melt chocolate over hot water, add one-half cup sugar, and gradually sweet milk; then add yolk of egg, and cook until mixture thickens. Set aside to cool. Cream the butter, add gradually one-half cup sugar, egg well beaten, sour milk, and flour mixed and sifted with soda. Combine mixtures and add vanilla. Bake in shallow cake pans, and put between and on top boiled frosting. Add to filling one-fourth cup raisins seeded and cut in pieces, if desired.
A two-stage devil's food: a cooked chocolate custard base folded into a small creamed batter. The proportions are modest, so it makes thin layers.
- Cook the chocolate base firstThe chocolate, half cup sugar, sweet milk and yolk must be cooked over hot water until it thickens to a pudding, then cooled to room temperature. Folding it in warm will melt the creamed butter and the cake will be greasy and dense.
- Squares of chocolateA square meant one ounce, so this is 4 oz unsweetened chocolate. Modern bars are scored in varying sizes, so check the weight; do not substitute bittersweet without cutting the sugar.
- Sweet milk and sour milkSweet milk is plain whole milk. Sour milk is naturally soured raw milk; use buttermilk, or milk with a teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar stirred in and left ten minutes. The acid is what activates the soda.
- Soda, not baking powderThe half teaspoon of soda relies on the sour milk for lift.
- OvenNo temperature is given. Bake at 350F; shallow layers of this size take about 18 to 22 minutes, until a tester comes out clean.
- Pan size and yieldOne and one-eighth cups of flour is a small batter. Two 8-inch layers will be very thin; a single 8-inch square pan, or two 6-inch rounds, gives a better result. Serves six to eight.
- Boiled frostingThe intended finish is the period's boiled frosting, a hot sugar syrup beaten into egg white. It sets firm and matte.