Recipe: Nut Tree Chocolate Fudge Cake with Rich Chocolate Icing (corrected)

NUT TREE CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE

"A favorite at California's Nut Tree."

3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 egg yolks
2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup ice water
3 egg whites, stiffly beaten

Beat butter with cocoa powder. Gradually add sugar, beating til fluffy and light. Add vanilla. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time.

Sift flour with baking powder; add to creamed mixture alternatively with 1 cup ice water, beginning and ending with flour; beat after each addition. Fold in egg whites. Pour into 2 paper-lined pans 9x1 1/2 inch round pans.

Bake in slow oven (300 degrees F), 30-35 minutes or until done. Cool in pan 10 minutes; turn out and cool on racks.

Frost with Rich Chocolate Icing.

RICH CHOCOLATE ICING

"An easy recipe from California's Nut Tree"

3 egg whites (pasteurized)
3 1/2 cups of sifted confectioners' sugar, divided use
3/4 cup soft butter
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup halved almonds, toasted

In small bowl of mixer beat egg whites to soft peaks; gradually add 3/4 cup of the confectioners' sugar, beating til stiff peaks form. Set this meringue aside.

Using same beater in large bowl, beat butter til creamy. Mix remaining sugar with cocoa powder; gradually beat into butter mixture. Fold in butter and meringue until well blended.

Use to fill and frost cooled cake. Sprinkle toasted almonds or chopped walnuts over lightly over frosting.

Adapted from source: KitchenMage Blog, 9/13/2005