Old-Fashioned Chocolate Layer Cake

Photo: flickr user foooooey

Ingredients

4 ounces Semisweet chocolate

1 1/4 cups Milk

2 cups Light brown sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

3 Eggs, separated

2 cups Sifted cake or soft wheat flour

1 teaspoon Baking soda

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/2 cup Unsalted butter, softened

3 ounces Unsweetened chocolate

1 can Sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup Unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 Egg yolk, lightly beaten

1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla extract

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. To make the cake, combine the chocolate, milk, brown sugar, vanilla and 1 egg yolk in the top of a double boiler.

Cook, stirring over hot water until smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Sift the flour with the baking soda and salt. Beat the butter in a large bowl of an electric mixer until light. Add the remaining 2 egg yolks, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition.

Beat in the chocolate mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the flour mixture. Do not over beat. Beat the egg whites until stiff; fold into the batter.

Pour the batter into 2 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out fairly clean, 20 to 30 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack before removing from pans.

To make the icing, melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over hot water. Stir in the condensed milk until smooth. Stir in the butter, bit by bit, until smooth. Whisk in the egg yolk and vanilla and cook until slightly thickened. Let cool slightly, then smooth over the bottom layer; place other layer on top, then ice the sides and top of the cake.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings