Stella’s 24th of July Chocolate Cherry Nut Cake with Seven Minute “Icing”

For Cake: Sift together the sugar, flour, salt, and soda. Melt the chocolate in some of the maraschino juice. Add butter, milk, melted chocolate, egg, and vanilla. Mix thoroughly. Add the maraschino c

AmericanVegetarianIntermediate25 min

Ingredients

Servings
4
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1-¾ cup cake flour
  • ¼ cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
  • 2 squares semisweet chocolate
  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup sour milk
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 5-oz bottle maraschino cherries, sliced
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1-½ cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 T white corn syrup
  • 2 unbeaten egg whites
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • several Fourth of July sparklers
  • 3 drops blue food coloring

Instructions

  1. 1

    Sift together the sugar, flour, salt, and soda.

  2. 2

    Melt the chocolate in some of the maraschino juice.

  3. 3

    Add butter, milk, melted chocolate, egg, and vanilla. Mix thoroughly.

  4. 4

    Add the maraschino cherries and nuts.

  5. 5

    Dust two 9- to10-inch cake pans with a mixture of flour and chocolate.

  6. 6

    Divide the batter between the two pans.

  7. 7

    Bake at 350° F for about 25 minutes. Use a toothpick to test doneness.

  8. 8

    Remove from pans and let cool on rack or waxed paper.

  9. 9

    Fill the bottom part of the double boiler with water and bring to a simmer.

  10. 10

    Combine the sugar, water, corn syrup and egg whites in the top of the double boiler.

  11. 11

    Place the top portion of the double boiler over the bottom and beat the mixture with a rotary beater for 7 to 10 minutes or until peaks form.

  12. 12

    Remove the double boiler from the heat.

  13. 13

    Blend the vanilla and food coloring into the mixture.

  14. 14

    Place one layer of the cooled cake onto a pedestal cake stand. Cover with icing.

  15. 15

    Place the other layer on top of that and anchor with toothpicks.

  16. 16

    Ice it using all the frosting.

  17. 17

    Make little peaks in the frosting on top by pushing the icing with a knife and quickly pulling it upward.

  18. 18

    Just before serving put two or three sparklers on the cake and light them.

Tags

americancooking-by-the-book

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