A great retro cake recipe that has a slightly dense texture with a great chocolatey flavour. It improves with age!
From Amy Vanderbilt’s Complete Cookbook, 1961
Makes 12 servings
- 1 ½ cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1 ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ cup cocoa, sifted
- ¼ cup finely grated 70% chocolate
- ½ cup butter, very soft (or it will not incorporate properly)
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 eggs
- Start oven at a moderate 350°F. Grease two round 8” cake pans, line each with a round of waxed paper. Grease the paper and then dust the pans lightly with flour.
- Sift the dry ingredients together into a bowl. Add the butter, milk and vanilla. Beat 2 minutes on medium speed, or 300 hand strokes. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the eggs and beat 2 minutes more. Pour into prepared pans.
- Bake about 18-20 minutes. Let cool in pans a few minutes, then turn out on a cake rake to cool completely. Frost as desired.