Brooklyn Blackout Cake Recipe

I have found some wonderful things to share on this first day of Spring.  It is a beautiful day here in Central Virginia.  I hope the weather is better for you.  Second, I am enjoying the return of  very colorful and musical birds that spend the spring and summer in my yard.  Last, but not least, I am happy to share a great recipe I found.  I love learning something new every day.  I never heard of a "blackout cake" until recently.  I love history, chocolate, pudding and cake.  When you put all of those things together, it is simply delicious!

BROOKLYN BLACKOUT CAKE
Makes one 3-layer 6-inch cake
Adapted from the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook

Note: This recipe was created by the Hummingbird Bakery, a London bakery. For those unfamiliar with a Brooklyn Blackout Cake, it’s real Americana.  The name was coined during World War II.  It was the most patriotic name possible for a chocolate cake with chocolate pudding frosting and a chocolate crumb coating! For a few decades, it reigned as one of the most delicious, iconic food items in the New York area. Unfortunately, the bakery that invented the cake went out of business, and it vanished, until now!  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

For the frosting:
1-3/4 cups water plus 1/4 cup water, separated
1-3/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 Tbsp light corn syrup
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
scant 1/3 cup cornstarch
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the cake:
3-1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
10 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/6 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
scant 1/2 tsp baking powder
scant 1/2 tsp baking soda
a pinch of salt
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup whole milk

Directions:
For the frosting: Ideally start on this the day before to give it time to cool fully. Combine 1-3/4 cups water, sugar, light corn syrup, and cocoa powder into a small sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking occasionally. In the meantime, combine the remaining 1/4 cup water with corn starch in a cup and mix with an immersion blender until dissolved. It’ll be relatively thin and uniformly opaque.

Slowly pour the corn starch mix into the sauce pan, whisking vigorously. Let the mix come back to a boil, whisking still. Continue whisking as the pudding thickens. It shouldn't take more than a few minutes for it to reach a thick chocolate pudding-like consistency. Turn off the heat and stir in the butter, incorporating it completely. The pudding should be shiny and thick.

Pour the pudding into a bowl, cover the surface with plastic wrap, and place it in the fridge until completely cool.

For the cake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 6-inch round pan, and lay a circular parchment paper round on the bottom.

Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. On low speed,  add the egg  and mix until it’s completely incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then, on low speed, beat in the vanilla extract, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Continue mixing until just combined, then add about half the flour as well as the milk. When just combined, add the remainder of the flour, mixing until just combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and place it in the oven. Bake for about 30 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean and the top bounces back a little when you push it. Let the pan cool for a minutes, then empty the cake onto a cooling rack to completely cool. Remove the parchment paper round.

Assembling: Slice off the domed top of the cake. Save it for the crumb topping. Carefully, slice the cake into three even-sized layers (they’ll be quite thin, so be careful). Proceed the way you’d normally assemble a layer cake, adding about 1/4 of the chocolate pudding frosting between layers. (When you take the pudding out of the fridge, it’ll be kind of hard to work with initially, but will become more malleable once it’s been worked with a spatula for a bit.) Cover the exterior of the cake with the rest of the chocolate pudding.

Finally, take that saved dome and process it in a food processor until it turns into fine crumbs. Using a sieve, spread the crumbs evenly across the top of the cake. With the remaining crumbs, cover the sides. I found this easiest to do by taking a handful and patting them onto the sides, first covering the bottom, then moving onto the top.