It is a strikingly dark and chocolaty, not to mention, very moist, and light cake. This 1941 recipe is great for those who are eager to learn how to make a perfect black Devil's Food Cake, and you can mix it up in no time at all.
The Snowy White frosting makes for a great contrast.
Black Midnight Cake Recipe
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Shortening
1 1/4 cups Sugar
2 Eggs
1 cup Hot Water
1/2 Cocoa
1 1/2 cups Sifted Gold Medal “Kitchen-tested” flour
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Vanilla
Double-boiler icing ingredients:
1 Egg White
3/4 cup Sugar
1/8 tsp. Cream of Tartar
3 tbsp. Water
1/2 tsp. Vanilla (or other flavoring)
Cream shortening, add sugar gradually, and cream until fluffy. Blend in well-beaten eggs. Slowly add hot water to cocoa and mix until smooth. Stir to dissolve completely.
Sift flour, salt, soda, and baking powder together, and add to creamed mixture alternately with hot water and cocoa mixture. Blend in vanilla.
Pour into an 8-inch square pan (2-1/2 inches deep) which has been greased and lined with paper. Bake 50 to 55 minutes in a moderate oven (350 F).
When cool, spread Double-Boiler Icing (see below) over top and sides.
Icing Directions:
Combine in top of a double boiler the egg white, sugar, cream of tartar, and water, and beat together just enough to completely blend ingredients. Place over rapidly boiling water, and beat with rotary beater until mixture is white and very light. (Icing is done when it barely holds its shape and is not runny as the beater is pulled out.) This takes 5 to 7 minutes depending on the size of boiler and vigor of beating. Remove from over hot water, and do not beat any more. Fold in the flavoring.
This makes a generous amount of icing for an 8-inch square cake.
Note: If icing becomes “grainy,” add a few drops of lemon juice to make it satiny smooth again.
Fluffy Marshmallow Icing Variation:
Add 3 marshmallows, cut in quarters, to the icing immediately after removing it from heat. Stir until marshmallows are melted and icing is fluffy.
