For the longest time I assumed that all those black out cakes were covered with chocolate cookie crumbs. Then one day I actually looked at a recipe and discovered they were coated with cake crumbs. That was the moment I realized, I needed to make this cake.
This white-out cake is a Dorie Greenspan recipe, with alternating layers of rich chocolate cake and marshmallow filling. I love it straight from the fridge.
devil’s food white-out cake
the cake
1 1/3 cups AP flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 sticks butter softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1/2 buttermilk or whole milk at room temperature
1/2 cup boiling water
4 ounces semisweet or milk chocolate finely chopped
the filling and frosting
1/2 cup egg whites (about 4)
1 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup water
1 Tablespoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and line two 8″ x 2″ round cake pans then butter again and dust with flour.
the cake
Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Cream butter then add sugars and mix for 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add melted chocolate. When fully incorporated, slowly add dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with milk. Scrape down sides and mix only until ingredients disappear into the batter. With mixer on low, slowly add boiling water. Switch to rubber spatula and scrape down bowl and stir in chocolate. Divide batter evenly between the two pans.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating pans half way through baking. Transfer to rack to cool for 5 minutes, then run knife around sides of cake and unmoldand peel papers. Cool on rack to room temperature. When ready to fill and frost, slice each layer horizontally in half. Set 3 layers aside and crumble the fourth layer, setting the crumbs aside.
the filling and frosting
Put egg whites in clean, dry mixer bowl. Put sugar, cream of tartar and water in a small saucepan and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, cover the pan and boil for 3 minutes. Uncover and allow the syrup to boil until it reaches 242 degrees F on a candy thermometer. While the syrup is cooking, start beating the egg whites.
Then the syrup is at about 235 degrees, begin beating egg whites on medium speed with the whisk attachment. If the whites form firm, shiny peaks before the syrup reaches temperature, reduce the speed to low and keep mixing the whites until the syrup catches up. With the mixer at medium and standing back slightly, carefully pour in the hot syrup, pouring it between the whisk and the side of the bowl. Splatters are inevitable, don’t try to scrap them down, just carry on. Add the vanilla and keep beating the whites at medium speed until they reach room temperature, about 5 minutes. You should have a smooth, shiny, marshmallowy frosting. Although you could keep it in the fridge in a pinch, it’s really best to use it right away.
assembly
Put a bottom layer cut side up on a cardboard cake round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment. Using a long metal icing spatula, cover the layer generously with frosting. Top the a second layer, cut side up, and frost it. Finish with the third layer, cut side down, and frost the sides and top of the cake. Don’t worry about smoothing the frosting – it should be swirly. Now, cover the entire cake with the chocolate cake crumbs, gently pressing the crumbs into the filling with our fingers.
Refrigerate the cake for about 1 hour before serving. Can be chilled for 8 hours or more; cover it loosely and keep it away from foods with strong odors.
Tags: cake, cake crumbs, dessert, white out cake
