Happy Birthday, Mr TBTAM.
Chocolate Chip Birthday Cake
This is a tried-and-true family birthday cake favorite. From Irene, of course. For the grated chocolate, we use chocolate chips, ground in the food processor till it is about a 60/40 mix of finely ground and tiny pieces. I screwed up this one by forgetting to add the chocolate on top till after it was baked – no problem, just sprinkle it on while it’s still hot and no one will know the difference. Serve with tall glasses of milk.
½ lb. butter
1 ¾ c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
4 large eggs, separated
1 cup milk
2 2/3 cups self-rising flour
½ c. grated semisweet chocolate (inside)
½ c. grated semisweet chocolate (topping)
Powdered sugar for the top
Have all ingredients at room temperature. Cream butter and sugar till light. Add egg yolks one at a time. Beat until smooth. Add vanilla. Beat in flour and milk alternately, starting with flour and ending with milk, adding about a third of each at a time and working quickly. Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into batter with ½ cup grated chocolate. Pour into greased and floured pan. Sprinkle remaining chocolate on top.
Bake at 350°: 9 x 13 baking pan 45 minutes or large tube pan 55 minutes, or 2- 9 inch layer pans 40 minutes, or 2 loaf pans 45 minutes. Cool, sprinkle top with powdered sugar.
Happy Birthday, Mr. TBTAM! Enjoy the cake!
I made this cake yesterday for my brother's birthday, which is tomorrow (11/5), and even blogged about it. Thanks!
http://sopwith59.livejournal.com/58510.html
Lisa –
I read the post – wonderful pictures and the cake looks delish! (tried to comment, lost my password for that site…)
I've always made it in a tube pan, so never had your issue with the topping heading towards the center. Next time (and I hope you liked it enough to make it again) try a tube pan, and maybe try adding the topping in the last 5 mins or so of baking.
I will ask Irene to look at your post and see if she has any other advice., since she has made it even more times that I have.
Thanks for reading and baking!
Peggy
Peggy, so glad you liked my post!
I'll definitely make this cake again. In fact, it's such a great cake, I went to bed last night pondering baking it again right away–to bestow upon a friend who's just moved, or my mom in Florida when I visit soon… eventually any and every person I hold dear.
I will definitely try baking it next time in a tube pan. This time, I wanted to try using one of the nifty brown paper baking molds I'd bought a while ago at NY Cake & Bake Supply Co., a store at 56 W 22nd you may well know… (http://www.nycake.com)
Thanks again. I'm a big admirer–of you and your blog, which is so well-written, informative, and entertaining, I'm inspired to do better with my own on-and-off efforts.
Hi Peggy and Lisa, I'm so glad this cake is getting around because it's been one of our favorites. There is often a slight problem with the chocolate crumbs drifting to the middle, even in a tube pan. But a little dusting of confectioner's sugar will cover a multitude of sins. It may have something to do with how well the chocolate has been ground and I'm not sure if it's too fine or too coarse. I've tried it both ways and have mixed results. My mother used to make it in a 9 by 13 shallow roasting pan and she would cut it in squares to serve. It's delicious any way you make it.
Peggy, do you remember when we made seven or eight batches of batter to fill up the three tier pans to make the cake for your parents anniversary party. It came out beautifully and your frosting and decorating were fantastic. What did you use for the frosting? A butter cream? I don't remember. Did you take any pictures? If you still have them you should post them.
Happy baking!!
Irene