Theme Recipe

Well we are at the end of the season, last episode, which happens to be one of favorite of the season, and Brenda Leigh's chocolate, and over all sugar, addiction hasn't been addressed yet.  Over the past 6 years, Brenda's love of sugar in general, and chocolate seriously in particular has become the most solid sub-theme of the show.  So for Brenda Leigh it's Devil's Food Cake

This is really old Southern recipe.  It is called Old Timey Devil's Food and it has a fudge frosting and it is RICH (southern for really heavy with sweets)!  Brenda would love it!

For the cake:

1 1/4 cups butter

2 cups sugar

6 eggs (that's right)--separated

1 tsp. baking soda

1 cup sour milk*

3 cups flour

4 squares unsweetened chocolate (that comes to 1/2 pound)*

1 tsp. real vanilla

For the frosting:

1 cup whipping cream

1 cup whole milk

1 cup unsalted butter

5 cups sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

8 segmented squares of unsweetened chocolate

1 tbsp. real vanilla

1.  For the cake:  cream the butter and sugar together.  Beat in the egg yolks.

2.  Dissolve the soda into the sour milk.  Start adding the flour in small amounts to the egg mixture, alternating with the soda milk.  Continue until both are used up.

3.  Melt the chocolate (best done in a double boiler), add to the flour egg mixture slowly.  Mix well.

4.  Beat egg white to soft peaks (that's still in collapsing mode). Fold the vanilla into the egg whites and then fold this mixture into the cake mix.

5.  Butter and flour 3 eight inch cake pans, pour cake batter evenly into each and bake at 350 degrees until cake tester come out clean on each (aprx:  30 minutes.  Cool and unmold carefully.

6.  For the frosting:  Scald (just bring to the boil) the cream and milk combined. Add the sugar and butter, and bring back to a slow boil, boil until the mixture reached the soft ball stage on a candy thermometer (you can test the mixture in a cup of cold water, it will solidify, but will still remain pliable).  

7.  Place chocolate (in pieces) into a hot proof bowl.  Pour boiling cream/sugar mixture over the chocolate.  Stir until the chocolate is melted, then leave to cool.  Add the vanilla and then beat until creamy.  Now frost you three layers, first between and then on sides, ending with frosting the top.  You can decorate the cake in any way you like or serve as is.

*if milk "goes off" in the refrigerator, freeze it for baking rather than throw it away.  Otherwise, you can make milk sour by adding lemon juice or white/cider vinegar to whole milk

*you can use whatever kind of chocolate you like.  If you want the cake even richer than it already is, use semi-sweet or even sweetened chocolate!

Ah the things people will do with cake!!

NEED AN IDEA FOR A HALLOWEEN COSTUME???