Brooklyns Blackout Cake ....

Hello
this is my very first layered cake... I always wanted ot make the Blackout cake but was never brave enough... last night i was flipping through my cookbooks again and as i had everything on hand someone dragged me to the kitchen and made me do this.... oh the smell and the fingerlicking.... what a fantastic cake... I am so happy I tried it... this will be today's dessert can't wait what everybody says... i might make it again for my birthday... Alissa

This is a truly American classic. It got its name from the blackout drills performed by the Civilian Defense Corps during World War II. When the navy sent its ships to sea from the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the streets of the borough were “blacked out” to avoid silhouetting the battleships against the cityscapes of Brooklyn and Manhattan. The cake was so named because of its darkly chocolate-practically black-appearance.

The cake itself is moist, fudgy, dark chocolate layers sandwiched and frosted with a rich, creamy chocolate pudding. The batter is made entirely in a saucepan on the stovetop, minimizing the cleaning afterwards.

EBINGER'S BLACKOUT CAKE

And here the story behind the famous cake!! In Molly O' Neills New York Cookbook there is a whole chapter devoted to that cake!

The "Blackout Cake" is the famed product of Brooklyn's Ebinger's Bakery, which began in 1898 and closed its doors in 1972. It's not clear when this was called "blackout." Perhaps it was sold as "chocolate layer cake" for some time before the name was thought of. The New York Times has a few citations for Ebinger's, but the coverage of Brooklyn is pitiful. It will have to do for now.

14 May 1942, Maryville (MO) Daily Forum, pg. 3: BLACK-OUT CAKES.... 35c

The VAVRA BAKERSTHE SOUTH SIDE BAKERY 4 September 1945, Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune, "In Hollywood" by Erskine Johnson, pg. 8, col. 4: Before leaving New York, Carl Post met Susan Hayward and asked her if there was anything he could do for her in the big city. "Yes," said Susan, mouth watering, "bring back a chocolate layer cake from Ebinger's Bakery in Brooklyn." Post brought the cake and started back to Hollywood by plane. But the temptation was too great. He ate the last piece over Salt Lake City.

10 November 1961, New York Times, pg. 40: Ebinger's Bakery Started in 1898, with German Pastry as a Specialty. It might be said that Ebinger's grew up with Brooklyn. Arthur Ebinger's parents, who had come here from Germany, opened their first Brooklyn bakery on Flatbush Avenue in 1898 and eventually became a string of 54. Anybody who lived in Brooklyn lived close to an Ebinger's. The unstinting quality and sonsistency of its 200 German-style pastries made them shrines. Chocolate cakes, incidentally, were one of Ebinger's best sellers in stores patronized largely by Jewish people. When Ebingers went bankrups tin 1972 it wasn't just the end of an era; it was also the end of certainkind of innocence.

4 December 1968, New York Times, pg. 43: Blackout Cake (Waldbaum's supermarket ad--ed.)

27 August 1972, New York Times, pg. 19: Tears Replace the Coffee Cakes On Ebinger Bakeries Final Day

30 August 1987, New York Times, pg. L.I.31: You bought a blackout cake: a rich chocolate layer cake filled and frosted with dark fudge and dusted with chocolate cake crumbs. It was named for the wartime blackouts (but, if it had been fed to the enemy, it could have ended World War II two years earlier).

10 July 1991, New York Times, pg. C10: "Ebinger's is back!" I cried....she always brought a stack of green and brown boxes from a wonderful bakery called Ebinger's. Inside one of those boxes was always a blackout cake.

For those who grew up in Brooklyn, when Brooklyn was the world, there is no sweeter sound than the Ebinger's brand name. No other word can pull such heartstings, signals such salivation.

Chocolate Blackout Cake

Serves 10 to 12

This recipe is from the trustworthy magazine “Cook’s Illustrated”, to be exact - from “The Best of Cook’s Illustrated” which gives certain assurance.

Be sure to give the pudding and the cake enough time to cool or you'll end up with runny pudding and gummy cake.

Pudding

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup whole milk
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate , chopped
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cake

8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), plus extra for greasing pans
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour , plus extra for dusting pans
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Table salt
3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 cup strong black coffee
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. For the pudding: Whisk sugar, cornstarch, salt, half-and-half, and milk in large saucepan. Set pan over medium heat. Add chocolate and whisk constantly until chocolate melts and mixture begins to bubble, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in vanilla and transfer pudding to large bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on surface of pudding and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours or up to 1 day.

2. For the cake layers: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour two 8-inch cake pans. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in bowl.

3. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in cocoa and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Off heat, whisk in coffee, buttermilk, and sugars until dissolved. Whisk in eggs and vanilla, then slowly whisk in flour mixture.

4. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool layers in pans 15 minutes, then invert onto wire rack. Cool to room temperature, at least 1 hour.

5. To assemble the cake: Cut each cake in half horizontally. Crumble one cake layer into medium crumbs and set aside. Place one cake layer on serving platter or cardboard round. Spread 1 cup pudding over cake layer and top with another layer. Repeat with 1 cup pudding and last cake layer. Spread remaining pudding evenly over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle cake crumbs evenly over top and sides of cake, pressing lightly to adhere crumbs. Serve. (Cake can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)

Hallo
so... hatte ein ziemlich aktives Wochenende und endlich Zeit das auch ins deutsche zu übersetzen! Es ist ein unglaublich leckerer schokokladiger Kuchen ohne zu mächtig und sahning zu sein (ich mag eigentlich keine Torten). Aber schokoladenkuchen geht immer... Ich bin lange um dieses Rezept geschlichen da ich noch nie einen mehrlagigen Kuchen gebacken habe. Diese Lieblingstorte der New Yorker aus Brooklyn ist dar Wahnsinn - sie birgt so viel Liebe, Nostalgie und eine besondere Historie in sich und hat einen deutschen Hintergrund.... ich musste es versuchen. Ebinger's Blackout Kuchen ist Ende in den 1890ern in Brooklyn in einer kleinen deutschen Bäckerrei entstanden und wurde zu einem kulinarischen Wahrzeichen Brooklyns. Leider ging die immer größer werdende Bäckereikette 1972 bankrott und somit verschwand auch der weltberühmte Blackout Cake.... heute wird er wieder von diversen Bäckereien angeboten aber bisher hat noch keiner das Originalrezept erreicht.... Die Nachfahren der Familie Ebinger haben das Rezept von Molly O'Neill (New York Kochbuch) versucht und für gut befunden. Americas Test Kitchen und Cooks Country haben diese Version rausgegeben und ich finde sie köstlich. Dies ist ein würdiges Rezept und leckerer Kuchen. Der Name entstand im zweiten Weltkrieg - in der Blackout Zeit als die Stadt alles verdunkelte bei Nacht damit die Kriegsschiffe der Brooklyn Navy durch Brooklyn und Manhatten gefahrenlos auslaufen konnten! Vorher war es einfach ein schlichter Schokokuchen... Enjoy Alissa
VORSICHT: bitte Zeit nehmen für diesen Kuchen und alles schön abkühlen lassen bevor man ihn zusammenfügt


8 EL Butter
150 g Mehl
2 TL Backpulver
½ TL Natron
½ TL Salz
100 g Kakao
240 ml starken Kaffee oder Espresso
1 Tasse Buttermilch (200g)
200 g braunen Zucker
180 g Zucker
2 große Eier
1 TL Vanille

Füllung
200g Zucker
100 g Bitterschokolade gehackt
450 ml Sahne
200 ml Milch
40 g Speisestärke oder Maismehl
½ TL Salz
2 TL Vanille

Teig:
Den Backofen auf 160°C vorheiten und 2 Stück 20 cm Springformen fetten und zur Seite stellen

In einer mittleren Schüssel Mehl, Backpulver, Salz und Natron mischen.

Die Butter in einer Sauteuse bei mittlerer Hitze schmelzen. Das Kakaopulver hinzufügen und erhitzen bis ein leckeres Aroma entsteht, ca. 1 Min. Vom Herd nehmen, den Kaffee, Buttermilch und die Zucker einrühren bis sihc der Zucker aufgelöst hat. Nun die Eier einzeln unterschlagen und die Vanille beimischen. Nun löffelweise die Mehlmischung einrühren und zu einem glatten Teig vermischen. Den Teig auf die zwei runden 20 cm Backformen verteilen und ca 30-35 min backen. 15 min in der Form auskühlen lassen und dann WICHTIG stürzen und vollständig auskühlen lassen bevor die Torte zusammen gestellt wird!.

Füllung:

Alle Zutaten bis auf die Vanille in einem Topf bei mittlerer Hitze unter ständigem Rühren einen ebenmäßigen dicklichen Pudding kochen. Braucht ca 20 Min. Vom Herd nehmen, Die Vanille einrühren und 24 Std. auskühlen lassen

Torte zusammenfügen

Mit einem langen Messer jeden Kuchen quer Halbieren damit 4 Böden entstehen. Einen Boden fein zerkrümeln, in eine Schüssel geben und zur Weite stellen und die anderen 3 Böden seperat legen. Den ersten Boden aud eine Tortenplatte oder Kartonage legen und mit der Füllung bestreichen und den nächsten Boden darauf legen. Diesen Wieder mit Füllung bestreichen und einen Boden draulgen und erneut Füllung oben drauf. Nun rundherum den Pudding glattstreichen und mit den Krümeln verzeihen und wer mag kann noch schokolade drüberhobeln. In den Kühlschrank aufbewahren. Den Kuchen kann man vorbacken und er hält sich 2 Tage im Kühlschrank!