My readers are pleading for the recipe to Aunt Mary’s German chocolate cake - Chicago Sun-Times

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My readers are pleading for the recipe to Aunt Mary’s German chocolate cake - Chicago Sun-Times

My readers are pleading for the recipe to Aunt Mary’s German chocolate cake - Chicago Sun-Times

Posted: 11 Dec 2020 04:00 PM PST

"Dear Mr. Fountain, Not fair to tantalizingly describe this mouth-watering cake and not provide the recipe! Have mercy!" — A reader

It's a family secret — my sweet Aunt Mary's triple-decker German chocolate cake, to which generations of the Hagler family clan were treated on holidays made sweeter by her culinary majesty. It's a secret. Period.

But inquiring minds want to know…

In fact, the discovery recently of the next best thing to Aunt Mary's German chocolate cake— baked by a friend also named Mary — prompted me to share a literary slice. My cake chronicles apparently also tantalized the palates — and stoked home-baked holiday memories — of a few readers. Some of them were moved to inquire about the fine details of Aunt Mary's recipe.

A reader writes: "Would u share the recipe? Thanks"

Another writes: "I would love to try your recipe." Signed, "Viola"

"Huh? Really?" I thought. "No can do."

But the requests kept coming, eventually softening me up like Aunt Mary's sweet dinner rolls.

Writes another: "Could you please send a copy of the recipe to me, including any hints she included along the way? I will pay you for the recipe…"

Hmmmm. Pay me for the recipe? The thought tickles my ears.

Yet another request: "This article makes me want to bake this cake from scratch for my husband. He loves German chocolate cake. I love peach cobbler and was wondering if there is a way to get these two recipes? Is there a cookbook? Thanks for any information… Mary"

"Mary?" Like Aunt Mary? Really? Uh-huh, and my name is Joe.

But a cookbook by Aunt Mary and me? Hmmm… Between the recipes, we might even share the stories and reflections behind the dish, like the fact that Aunt Mary told me that her baking mastery was birthed out of necessity once upon a time when the family was low on funds.

"We didn't have money to eat out," my aunt, now 82, told me this week. "So we just learned to cook whatever they made at restaurants."

But I digress. Part with her recipe?

You wouldn't ask a barbecue rib master for the secret to his succulent baby backs or the ingredients of his finger-licking sweet and tangy sauce. Isn't the formula to Coca-Cola still a closely guarded secret?

The various pinches, dashes, sprinkles and combination of spices that blend into family perfections passed down through generations are sacred gems: cakes, pies and assorted dishes that make life sweeter, and the seasons of life, love and family everlasting.

Honestly, Aunt Mary did bequeath to me her recipe some time ago during my career travels when I was far from home. Over the telephone, she divulged her cake ingredients and her process with the care and cadence of a surgeon.

I used to bake "my version" of Aunt Mary's German chocolate cake. But I ceased over time, fearing that I would grow as big as a house.

Years ago, my wife transcribed Aunt Mary's recipe on a small piece of paper. She stored it in a black binder that she recently told our two young adult children, as they helped her prepare Thanksgiving dinner, will be theirs someday.

Aunt Mary's recipe is still stored there, somewhere between the pages and clippings of endless recipes over the years — for assorted curries of chicken and rice, Jamaican jerk chicken, "Perfect Apple Pie," and my wife's own, shall I say, infamous meat loaf "muffins."

But again, I digress… I told Aunt Mary that inquiring minds want to know her German chocolate cake recipe.

"Give it to them," she said sweetly.

It would be my honor. But not before I've told them about the heart of the woman whose hands baked our family's cakes for years and filled our lives with sweet goodness. Mercy!

Send letters to letters@suntimes.com

Email John Fountain at Author@johnwfountain.com

Recipe: Red Velvet Cake - Alabama NewsCenter

Posted: 12 Dec 2020 10:01 AM PST

With the holidays upon us, home cooks everywhere are scrounging for delicious recipes fit for the times and the occasion. This red velvet cake is as comforting as it is beautiful, making it a favorite in my house this time of year.

Here, fluffy, cocoa-scented cake layers are frosted with a tangy cream cheese buttercream that brings balance to the mild layers. If you're serving a smaller crew this year, you can halve the recipe and bake it in three smaller 6-inch round pans.

Just bake the layers until slightly puffed and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

A dreamy dessert almost too beautiful to eat. (Kate Wood/Wood and Spoon)

Red Velvet Cake

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 3/4 cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • ½ cup (120 grams) canola oil
  • 2 cups (400 grams) sugar
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2-1/3 cups (320 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1-1/4 cups (300 grams) whole milk, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup (60 grams) white vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons red food coloring (optional)

For the frosting:

  • 1-1/2 cups (285 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 block / 8 ounces (225 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1½ teaspoons vanilla
  • Approximately 5 cups / 1½ pounds (680 grams) of powdered sugar

Instructions

To prepare the cake:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease three 8-inch round pans and line the bottoms with pieces of parchment paper cut to fit inside the bottom.
  2. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter, oil and sugar on medium speed for 3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Stir to combine.
  3. In a separate bowl, gently whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, vinegar and vanilla. Add half of the dry ingredients mixture to the butter and stir on low to combine. Add half of the liquid ingredients and stir just to combine. Scrape the sides of the bowl and then repeat this process. Add the red food coloring and stir to combine. Divide the batter equally among the three pans and bake in the preheated oven until puffed and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 22-25 minutes. Allow to cool completely prior to frosting.

To prepare the frosting:

  1. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed (I use 4 on my stand mixer) for 2-3 minutes until light and creamy, scraping the bowl as necessary. Add the cream cheese and beat to incorporate for an additional minute. Add the salt, vanilla and powdered sugar and beat on low speed until incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl and continue to beat until well combined. Do not overbeat, as this can cause the cream cheese to loosen. If needed, add a tablespoon of water or milk at a time to get the frosting the right consistency. Refrigerate as needed to thicken the frosting up.

To assemble the cake:

  1. Use a serrated knife to level the cakes. Smooth a small amount of frosting on an 8-inch cake board or plate and center a single cake layer on top. Smoothly spread a thick layer of frosting on top, extending the buttercream all the way to just beyond the edge of the cake. Stack the second cake layer on top and repeat the entire process once more. Place the final cake layer on top. Spread a thin coat of frosting (crumb coat) all over the cake and allow it to set up in the fridge prior to applying the final coat of frosting. You can skip this step if desired. Finish frosting the cake as desired with the rest of the buttercream. Cake will keep in the refrigerator covered in plastic for up to three days.

Kate Wood's recipes can be found on her Wood and Spoon blog and on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.


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