Chapter 4: Thanksgiving Dessert / Non-Dairy Devil's Food Cake

The cake-rendering started the night before Thanksgiving. 

My friend Shana and I donned aprons and watched the Kitchenaid Mixer make a cake.  

When our part came to take the cakes out of the oven in a timely manner, we were too busy drinking wine and listening to the BeeGee's. Therefore the cake was a little dry and *may* have cracked down the middle (not pictured--I would be insane to put that on film). 

Mike thinks this is the weirdest picture on the whole blog.  I say, "Let them eat cake!"

The buttercream rendering started at 6AM Thanksgiving morning.

Step 1: whip 5 egg whites into submission (stiff peaks)
Step 2: drizzle hot melted sugar onto whites
(the hot sugar theoretically cooks the whites so that we are not ingesting raw eggs)

Egg whites are glossy and indestructible after they have been reinforced with sugar.
Step 3: Egg whites are now hot and need to be cooled down to same temp as butter.
Can you tell that I am wearing polka dot PJs?

Step 4: Room temp butter/margarine is whipped into submission
(not pictured) Step 4a: Spoon dollops of room temp egg whites in with butter.
(not pictured) Step 4b: Struggle
I disobeyed my own cardinal rule--SUBSTANCES AT DIFFERENT TEMPERATURES 
WILL NOT EMULSIFY
(not pictured) Step 4c: Genius (madness) intervenes as I submerge the mixture into a bath of boiling water for 10 seconds.
Step 5: Behold delicious buttercream! 

After all that hullaballoo, frosting the cake seems peaceful.

wait, where did that square cake come from?

 I somewhat foolishly made a second cake from the egg yolks leftover from the buttercream icing, revising the original cake recipe (which contained 3 whole eggs) to include 5 egg yolks instead. This (and timely removal of cake from the oven) afforded a moister, even more amazing Devil's Food Cake.

Revised Devil's Food Cake (no egg whites and no dairy)

2c all purpose flour

1 1/2 t baking soda

3/4 t baking powder

3/4 t salt

6T butter-flavored shortening + 4T margarine

2c sugar

3/4 c cocoa powder

2T vanilla extract

5 egg yolks (leftover from buttercream icing)

1 1/2 c water

1/4 c almond or soymilk

1. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt + set aside.

2. Beat shortening/margarine until smooth then slowly add sugar.

3. Add cocoa powder and vanilla, beat 1 minute.

4. Add egg yolks

5. Bring water + milk to boil, then take off heat but no need to wait til cool.

6. Meanwhile, add flour mixture to batter on low speed.

7. Add hot water/milk to batter and fold with spatula or mix on low speed.

8. Bake 350 center rack x 30-35 min.

I sure love cake when it's sitting on a platter that pretty.