Big Daddy's Cake

Big Daddy's Cake (Source: Maida Heatter's Cakes (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2011 ed., pg. 68) 

I think of Tennessee Williams every time I hear the name of this cake (or maybe Blanche DuBois!)

This a monster of a cake and a delicious one at that! You will need a 10-inch Bundt pan to hold it all. The cake tastes like a pound cake with a delicious ribbon of nutty chocolate running through it. The chocolate ribbon is initially places at the top of the batter but sinks to the bottom during the baking process.

Note - I forgot to toast the nuts first but I thought they were delicious anyway. I was also short one stick of butter and used shortening instead. 

The cake turned out delicious. It is very much like a pound cake but the layer of chocolate and nuts brings it to another level. This one is a keeper!

2 cups toasted pecans
4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
6 oz. semisweet chocolate
3 TBS. hot water or black coffee
3 TBS. whipping cream
12 oz. (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
6 eggs
1 1/4 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 350. Thoroughly butter a 10-inch bundt pan or a pan with a 12-14 cup capacity.

Chop half of the pecans coarsely and chop the remaining half very fine.

Sprinkle the finely chopped nuts in the buttered pan and shake to distribute them evenly.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Add the water or coffee. Whisk in the whipping cream and set aside to cool.

Beat the butter until smooth. Add the vanilla and almond extracts. Mix in the sugar. Beat for 2 minutes.

Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl as necessary to fully incoroporate.

On low speed, add the flour mixture alternately with the milk.

Transfer the batter to the pan and smooth the top. Use a large spoon to create a 1/2 inch canal around the perimeter. Spoon the melted chocolate into the canal.

Sprinkle the remaining coarsely chopped pecans over the top of the batter.

Bake for 50-55 minutes, then cover the pan loosely with foil and continue to bake an additional 15-20 minutes (total baking time will be 1 hour and 5-15 minutes). Test doneness with a tester. 

Let the cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Carefully invert onto a wire rack. Be careful as the cake is very heavy. Cool completely before applying the glaze.

Glaze

6 oz. semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces

2 tsp. vegetable shortening (I used butter-flavored shortening because that was the only thing I had on hand. It should not matter. You could use butter as well.)

Melt the ingredients in a double boiler. Pour the glaze over the top of the cooled cake, allowing it to run down the sides.

Light Rocky Roads

 

Light Rocky Roads  (Source: Maida Heatter's Cookies (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg. 134.

A very easy and very quick recipe. I doubled it and made them in a 13" x 9" pan. I thought the crust should have been thicker (she says it makes a thin crust and it certainly does). I wanted to use pecans instead of walnuts but I didn't have enough on hand. I simply like pecans much better than walnuts.  Either is fine. 

I would advise you to line the pan with baking paper. The recipe does not specify this but I suspected that it would be hard to remove them neatly from the pan otherwise.

There is also a "Dark Rocky Roads" with a chocolate layer and glaze but I have not tried that one yet.

(Makes 18 bars)

1/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/3 cup dark or light brown sugar, firmly packed

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 TBSP unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, finely cut

Preheat the oven to 350. Use the lower third rack. Butter or spray an 8-inch pan and line with parchment paper.

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and set aside. In another bowl, combine the egg, sugar, vanilla and butter. Add the flour mixture. Stir in the nuts. Spread the mixture into the pan and smooth out evenly.

Bake for 15 minutes or until the crust springs back when lightly pressed.

Topping

I cup miniature marshmallows

1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Have the topping ingredients ready so that they can be applied to the crust as soon as it comes out of the oven. Immediately cover the crust with a layer of marshmallows, then the nuts and the chocolate chips.

Place the pan back in the oven on the top rack and bake for only 2 or 3 minutes just until the chocolate is softened. Use the back of the spoon to spread the chocolate over the marshmallows.

Let it sit until it has reached room temperature. Chill in the refrigerator to set the chocolate.

Cut into squares with a sharp knife. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar if desired.

Whoopies

Whoopies (Source: Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2006 ed.), pg. 142.

I had never made whoopie pies before but last week I made some from two different recipes. The other recipe was the one from King Arthur Flour and it uses shortening instead of butter. Both of them turned out well and there wasn't much difference between the two. I gave some of both to my neighbor John who was having a birthday. He and his wife thought that the King Arthur recipe was the best (although they loved both). Michael, on the other hand, liked Maida's better.  

Maida's recipe filling seemed a bit complicated (the King Arthur recipe is much simpler) but I didn't encounter any difficulties by following the recipe exactly. Both fillings are heavy and I wondered how a lighter filling (something similar to Cool Whip) might work.

Regardless, these are quite a delicious treat.

3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. salt
6 oz. (1 1/2 sticks) butter
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 /2 cup plus 1 TBS. unsweetened cocoa
1 cup plus 2 TBS. milk

Preheat the oven to 375. Fit cookie sheets with foil or a baking mat. 

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Set aside.

Cream the butter. Add the vanilla and sugar and mix well.

 

Add the eggs one at at time, scraping the bowl as necessary.

 

Add the cocoa.

 

Add the sifted flour alternately with the milk.

 

Use a 1/4 cup scoop to form the dough. Shape each mound as round as possible. Place the mounds about 4 inches apart on the baking sheets.

 

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until done.

Remove from the oven - slide the foil off the baking sheet and let them stand for a few minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. You should have 27 large cookies to make 13 whoopies.

 

Creamy White Filling

1/3 cup plus 3 TBS. sifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 lb. (3 sticks) butter
Generous pinch of salt
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 3/4 cups strained confectioners sugar

Place the flour in a 1-quart saucepan. Add the milk gradually, stirring with a rubber spatula. 

 

Cook over moderate heat, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the mixture starts to bubble. Simmer for about 2 minutes.

Stir in 1 tablespoon of butter and set aside to cool to room temperature. Stir ocassionally with a whisk. (The mixture will resemble mashed potatoes.)

Beat the remaining butter until softened. Add the vanilla, salt and sugar gradually. Beat for 2 minutes. Gradually add the cooled flour and milk mixture one tablespoon at a time, then beat on high speed 1-2 minutes until light and fluffy.

Place a generous tablespoon (or more) of the filling in the center of each cookie. Spread and cover with a second cookie.