Recipe: Devil's Food Cake with a Surprise Ingredient and Fluffy White Frosting

DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE WITH A SURPRISE INGREDIENT AND FLUFFY WHITE FROSTING
"Remember in chemistry class when you combined an alkaline with an acid and it turned into a bubbly mess? In baking, this chemical reaction is a very good thing. It results in leavening, or the rising of a cake. Here, baking soda provides the alkaline. Most recipes use buttermilk as the acid, but for this old-timer we employ an acid that was a favorite of nineteenth-century bakers. Tomato juice is rarely used today; even though it has the right chemical balance and a flavorful zing that complements chocolate perfectly."


Nonstick vegetable-oil spray
1 1/4 cups cake flour
1/2 cup unsweetened, Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup tomato juice*

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, arranging a rack in the middle position. Lightly coat two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick vegetable-oil spray and line the bottoms with circles of baking parchment.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt together 3 times; set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together at high speed for 15 seconds, or until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes more.

With the mixer on its lowest setting, beat in one third of the flour mixture. Beat in the vanilla and half of the tomato juice, then another third of the flour. Beat in the rest of the tomato juice and then the remaining flour just until combined. Divide the batter between the two pans and spread evenly.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes, or until the center springs back when lightly pressed and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the pans to a rack to cool.

Turn the cake out of the pans and trim the tops flat and level with a large serrated knife. Spread a 1/2-inch layer of Fluffy White Frosting on one layer, then stack the other on top, frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.

FLUFFY WHITE FROSTING

1/4 cup water
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided use
2 large egg whites
Pinch of salt
Pinch of cream of tartar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar

Put 1/4 cup water, the corn syrup and 1/4 cup of the sugar in a small saucepan. Over high heat, bring to a boil and let boil for 3 full minutes.

In the meantime, using an electric mixer and a completely clean and dry bowl, whisk the egg whites, salt and cream of tartar on high speed until creamy, foamy and just able to hold very soft peaks. Add the vanilla and sprinkle on the remaining 1/4 cup sugar; continue to mix on slow speed. With the mixer running, carefully drizzle in the hot corn syrup mixture. Turn the mixer back up to high speed and whisk until the mixture is fluffy, firm and cooled to room temperature.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Gently fold a third of the meringue into the butter mixture. Fold in the remainder of the meringue until completely blended.

*If you feel skeptical about using tomato juice in your chocolate cake, just substitute 1 cup of buttermilk.

Makes one (9-inch, 2-layer) cake
Source: American Desserts by Wayne Harley Brachman