Sunday, March 15, 2009, week 1

My Birthday cake

This is "my" birthday cake. What makes it so special is the Allegretti Frosting!

Make a devils food chocolate cake using two 8 or 9 inch layer pans. After baking, take cake out of pans and cool completely.


Basic 7 Minute Icing
(Double this)

1 egg white 3/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp cream of tartar 1/2 tsp vanilla
dash of salt 1-2 tsp white corn syrup
3 tbsp cold water

Put first 5 ingredients in top of double boiler, then place over boiling water - upper pan should not touch surface of water. Beat with rotary beater 7 minutes or with electric beater 4 minutes or until icing stands in pointed stiff peaks. Remove from heat. Change hot water for cold and replace top of double boiler. Add vanilla and syrup, then continue beating until icing stands in shiny peaks stiff enough to hold shape. Spread on cake immediately. Enough for top and sides of two 8 inch layers (no, sir). Double recipe for 3 8-inch or two 9-inch layers.

(Beat with a rotary beater???!!! Do you even have one?? Do you even know what one is??)

Allegretti Frosting

Use basic Butter Frosting or 7-minute Icing and spread on cake as directed. Melt 2 squares unsweet chocolate over warm water, beat in 1/4 tsp butter. when cooled, pour chocolate neatly from a spoon around the top edge of cake, dripping it down sides in a natural way. Leave center top of cake white, and the sides just partially striped with chocolate - this gives a strikingly beautiful brown-and-white effect. Let chocolate become firm before cutting cake.

This comes from Meta Givens Encyclopedia of Cooking
copywrite 1947
Mom's cookbook.

My favorite cake made every year for my birthday by my Mom. My kids loved it, too!