Palm Beach Chocolate Layer Cake

 

Palm Beach Chocolate Layer Cake
Source: Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1999 ed.), pg. 50.

This is a dense cake with a strong chocolate flavor but not too sweet. The icing is hard and thick and is delicious (be aware that the icing is made with raw eggs). It was just a tad dry and I'm wondering if the oven temperature was reduced to 350 instead of 375 might help. The baking time is only 25-30 minutes.

On the next page of "Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts" is "Palm Beach Tube Cake" and I'm curious how it compares to this one. It is made with white sugar (a whopping 2 cups) instead of brown sugar.

This is a rich cake and a small piece goes a long way. It is fantastic with milk or ice cream.

 

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 lb. (2 sticks) butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups dark brown sugar, firmly packed
2 eggs
1 cup boiling water

Preheat the oven to 375 (although I will try 350 the next time I bake this). Butter or spray two round 9-inch pans and dust with dry bread crumbs.

Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Set aside to cool.

Sift together the flour and baking soda. Set aside.

Beat the butter until softened and add the vanilla.

 

Gradually add the sugar, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Mix well.

Beat in the eggs...

 and the melted chocolate. Mix well.

Add half of the flour (set the mixer at the lowest speed - this is going to be a very thin mixture)

Then add the boiling water -

Then add the remaining half of the flour. Mix well, scraping the bowl and beaters as necessary to fully incorporate.

The batter is very thin and liquid-y. Divide between the two pans.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until the cake comes away from the sides of the pan and springs back when touched. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing the cakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

Wait until the cakes are completely cool before making the icing. The icing sets up quickly and has to be applied to the cake immediately after it is prepared.

Filling & Icing

5 ounces unsweetened chocolate
3 oz. butter
3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
2 eggs
1 TBS. hot water
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Place the chocolate and butter in a heavy saucepan and melt over very low heat. Stir constantly as it melts.

Transfer the melted chocolate to a mixer bowl and add the remaining ingredients all at once.

Beat at low speed until everything is incorporated then increase the speed to high. Beat until smooth.

Immediately spread a layer of filling over the bottom cake layer. Top with the second layer and ice the top and sides of the cake.