Favorite Birthday Cake Breathing in the heady aroma of chocolate, sugar, and butter, I asked myself why I didn’t bake cakes more often. (Of course, I knew why: too many calories.) But the time, the energy, and the calories were well worth it for my husband’s milestone birthday. The recipes for this one-bowl chocolate cake, butterscotch filling, and marshmallow frosting are old favorites from the 1972 edition of Betty Crocker, a treasured cookbook given to me by my best friend, Diana (Redfern) Krause, when I was 16 years old. I can’t remember if Diana knew I would be attending cooking school the next year, but it was the perfect gift. Even though I have many cookbooks in my collection, I’ve used my Betty Crocker as a reference for the past 40 years. You can find updated versions of the following recipes on bettycrocker.com.
Devil’s Food Cake
1 2/3 cups flour
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup shortening
1 ½ cups buttermilk
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate, melted, cooled
Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans, or 13x9-inch pan. In large bowl, beat all cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pans.
Bake rounds 30 to 35 minutes, rectangle 35 to 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool rounds 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
Make filling and frosting; recipes following. Fill and frost round layers or frost top of rectangle with frosting.
Devil’s Food Cake
1 2/3 cups flour
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup shortening
1 ½ cups buttermilk
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate, melted, cooled
Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans, or 13x9-inch pan. In large bowl, beat all cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pans.
Bake rounds 30 to 35 minutes, rectangle 35 to 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool rounds 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
Make filling and frosting; recipes following. Fill and frost round layers or frost top of rectangle with frosting.
Layers of chocolate cake and butterscotch. Butterscotch Filling
1/2 cup light brown sugar (packed)
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon butter
Stir together sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in water. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Blend in butter. Cool. Spoon and spread between cake layers.
Marshmallow Frosting
2 large egg whites
1 ½ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/3 cup water
¾ cup marshmallow crème OR 16 large marshmallows, quartered, OR 2 cups miniature marshmallows
Combine egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, corn syrup, and water in the top of a large double boiler. Place over boiling water; beat with an electric beater until stiff peaks form, scraping pan occasionally. Remove from heat. Add marshmallow crème and continue beating until of spreading consistency. Frosts 13x9-inch cake generously, or fills and frosts an 8- or 9-inch two-or-three layer cake.
1/2 cup light brown sugar (packed)
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon butter
Stir together sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in water. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Blend in butter. Cool. Spoon and spread between cake layers.
Marshmallow Frosting
2 large egg whites
1 ½ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/3 cup water
¾ cup marshmallow crème OR 16 large marshmallows, quartered, OR 2 cups miniature marshmallows
Combine egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, corn syrup, and water in the top of a large double boiler. Place over boiling water; beat with an electric beater until stiff peaks form, scraping pan occasionally. Remove from heat. Add marshmallow crème and continue beating until of spreading consistency. Frosts 13x9-inch cake generously, or fills and frosts an 8- or 9-inch two-or-three layer cake.
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