READ REPLIES

M Carlson, Orange County, California

When I lived in Chicago my favorite cake forever was a Dressels Cake made in a bakery on Ashland Avenue. They've long since closed but I would love a recipe that might duplicate itl

Recipe: Cooked Frosting (similar to Dressler's Frosting)

Halyna -- NY

FROSTING SIMILAR TO DRESSLER'S FROSTING

Hi All, I happen to have the recipe for the frosting - my mom made it often, don't know how she got it. As a kid, I always referred to it as cooked frosting.

Cook together:
1/2 cup flour and 1 cup water
Must become a thick glob - Let cool.

Cream together:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar

Beat flour mixture into sugar/butter mixture, a teaspoon at a time.

Add (if you want):
1 tsp vanilla and food coloring if you want.

Adapted from source: Chowhound / Karlad, 4/3/2010

Dressel Cake Information

Halyna - NY

"Those whipped cream cakes were created by Joe Dressel, who started the bakery along with his two brothers, Herman and Bill Dressel. John J. Dressel, a next generation Dressel, also worked for the bakery for 47 years. He passed away in 2008 at age 74. His sons are Donald and Leonard Dressel. Decendants of the Dressels still live in Chicago." - Uncle Phaedrus

Baumann's Bakery, 12248 Harlem Ave. in Palos Heights makes a "The Dressel's Cake,", which is based the baker's memory of the Dressel's Bakery chocolate whipped cream cake.

Chicago Tribune article: What ever happened to Dressel's Bakery in Cicero, Illinois?
Vikki Ortiz Healy catches up with Dan Dressel of Lake Forest
Source: Chicago Tribune, 1/8/2010

A Note from Betsy at Recipelink:

Thanks Halyna! Here is a little more info.

"I love seeing all of these recent posts for Dressel's cakes!! The bakery was started by my family well before I was born, but went out of business when I was a kid. My dad, mom, grandpa, uncles, great uncles..etc... all worked there and I was very proud of it growing up. Every now and then when I meet a fellow Chicagoan I get asked if I'm any relation to the bakery and my family would love to know that the bakery is still remembered! (sorry i don't have any recipes - wish i did!!)" - MDressel to Chowhound 5/32009

"I recently got one of Baumann's "Dressel's Cakes" and, while okay, it was nothing like the Dressel's cake I remember (my parents, who had those cakes from the 50s until they closed, agreed). I mean no offense to Baumann's." - onpinsandneedles to Chowhound 4/16/2010

Recipe: Dressel's Chocolate Fudge Whipped Cream Cake

gwendolyn

DRESSEL'S CHOCOLATE FUDGE WHIPPED CREAM CAKE

FOR THE CAKE:
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups oil
4 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/3 cups boiling water
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (recommended: Special Dark)
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups cake flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup toasted and ground mixed walnuts and pecans

FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM:
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon agar agar
3 cups non-homogenized heavy cream (38 or 40% fat)
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

FOR THE CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM:
1 pound (2 cups) unsalted butter, at room temperature (pliable, but not soft)
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9-inch baking pans; line with parchment paper circles.

FOR THE CAKE:
Beat 2 cups sugar and 3 eggs in a large bowl until fluffy and creamy, 3 minutes. Blend in 1 1/4 cups oil and 4 teaspoons vanilla; beat, 2 minutes.

Combine boiling water and 1/2 cup cocoa powder in a second bowl. Stir to dissolve; mix in baking soda and salt. Pour into batter; incorporate. Add flour; mix until blended and smooth. Pour into prepared pans and tap pans to release bubbles. Bake until the cake springs back when touched, 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven; let rest in pans, 5 minutes. Turn onto racks. Let cakes cool completely.

MEANWHILE, MAKE THE WHIPPED CREAM:
Place 1 cup water in a saucepan with 1/2 teaspoon agar agar. Heat to a boil; cook at a boil, 4 1/2 minutes. Let solution cool just until you can immerse your finger in it � still quite warm and liquid � this takes about 3 to 3 1/2 minutes. Meanwhile, combine 3 cups of cream with 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Turn mixer to low speed. Before cream reaches soft peak stage, add 3 tablespoons of the warm liquid agar/water solution to cream all at once. Whip until consistency firms up. Note: The whipped cream will not be super firm--just firmer than typical whipped cream.

MAKE THE LIGHT CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM:
Whip two cups of room temperature unsalted butter with 1/2 cup vegetable shortening and 4 cups powdered sugar at low speed for 8 to 10 minutes until the mixture is fluffy. Add two teaspoons vanilla. Whip again just to incorporate. Mix together 2 1/2 tablespoon oil with 4 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder. Whisk into buttercream until evenly distributed.

ASSEMBLE CAKE:
Trim the "dome" off the top of each fudge layer to ensure each cake layer is exactly level and of the same thickness. Place first fudge layer on a cake liner on a footed cake stand. Carefully pipe 1-inch of buttercream around the rim of the fudge layer, so you now have a standing lip of buttercream on the cake layer. Fill this with 1-inch tall whipped cream. Add several more spoons of whipped cream onto the center. Layer the second fudge layer of cake over the whipped cream layer. Using an offset spatula, carefully seal the outside edge of the cake (sealing whipped cream in) with buttercream, using a little more buttercream if needed. Frost top of cake with buttercream. Frost sides of cake with buttercream. Apply crushed nuts (toasted walnut and pecan) to sides of the cake.

Freeze the cake, which will ensure that the whipped cream layer and buttercream will firm up. Set cake out 30 to 45 minutes before serving to soften.

Makes 1 (2-layer) cake, 12-16 servings