A woman who is one of our regular tea store customers asked the other day whether or not we would share our old family recipes. Of course we do! And here is one that has circulated in family archives for just about 50 years, originally based on a recipe from the New York Times Cookbook of 1961. Through the years, it has gained a crunchy caramel topping made possible by cutting up Heath bars and adding walnuts. Sweet 21st century decadence.
Cake:
- 2 cups sifted cake flour
- 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3 square (ounces) unsweetened baking chocolate, melted
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup hot water
Frosting: (Easy Penuche Icing)
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1-3/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
- 1/2-1 cups chopped walnuts (as desired)
- 2 chopped Heath bars
Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom of a 13x9 inch baking pan (we use glass), line with waxed paper or parchment and grease the paper.
- Sift together the flour, sugar, soda and salt. Add the butter and sour cream and bet two minutes. Add the chocolate, eggs, vanilla and hot water and beat two minutes longer.
- Turn the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the cake rebounds to the touch when pressed gently in the center, about 30 minutes.
- Cool the cake in the pan 5 minutes. Turn out on a rack, remove the paper and cool completely (1-2 hours).
Frosting:
- Melt the butter in a saucepan, add brown sugar and boil, stirring over low heat two minutes. Add the milk and return to a boil, stirring constantly. Cool to lukewarm.
- Gradually add the confectioners' sugar. Place the pan in ice water and stir until the icing is thick enough to spread.
- Sprinkle iced top with chopped walnuts and chopped Heath bars.
