See part 1
cake crumbs around sides of cake and then sprinkle on top. Use all of the
crumbs to make a thick crumb coating.
Notes: The chocolate filling MUST be well chilled. The chocolate frosting
combines lukewarm water with melted chocolate. It is important for the
chocolate mixture & the water to be a similar temperature. It is not
necessary to use a thermometer, but if you do, the water & chocolate should
be around 88 to 90.
See additional Notes.
From the author, Elinor Klivans: “When I was a girl, our family spent
every summer visiting my grandfather in Brooklyn. People used to laugh at
the idea of spending summer vacation in Brooklyn, but we had a great time.
. . . and we enjoyed the big city treats . . . and our daily trip to
Ebinger’s bakery. Parker House rolls, Macaroon Tarts, crumb cakes,
blueberry crumb pies, lemon meringue tarts – there was something different
for each day of the week – but for extra-special dinners we always bought
Blackout Cake. Blackout cake was all chocolate; crumbly and moist chocolate
cake; creamy chocolate filling; thick chocolate glaze; and the entire cake
covered with chocolate cake crumbs.
. . . several years later the unheard-of happened — Ebinger’s baking chain
had financial problems and closed. I assumed I had eaten my last Blackout
Cake. Then several years ago the New York Times ran a nostalgic article
abut Ebinger’s and at the end of the article they included a recipe for
Blackout Cake. It took me about 5 minutes to start baking the cake, and I
wasn’t disappointed. It was the same moist, crumbly chocolate cake, the
same soft chocolate pudding-type filling, and the same dark fudge frosting.
I revised several of the recipe instructions and made slight changes in the
ingredients and directions printed in the New York Times article.
DOUBLING: Prepare only two cake layers at a time. Double the filling &
frosting ingredients.
TO FREEZE & DEFROST THE CAKE LAYERS: Invert the cooled cake layers onto
plastic wrap. Wrap the layers tightly the plastic wrap and then heavy
aluminum foil. Freeze up to 2 months. After the cake layers are frozen,
they may be stacked in the freezer. Defrost the wrapped cake at room
temperature. Fill and frost the layers as soon as they are thawed enough to
cut. Cold layers are easier to handle.
TO FREEZE COMPLETED CAKE: Freeze the cake, uncovered for about 1 hour, or
until the frosting is firm. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap & aluminum foil.
Freeze up to 1 month.
TO SERVE: Refrigerate wrapped cake 8 hours or overnight. Unwrap the cake
and bring to room temperature before serving, about 45 mins. Leftover cake
can be covered and refrigerated up to 3 days.
Yields
12 Servings