Jim saw it in the newspaper a while back. The Accidental Chef wrote about it: "This sweet little number, also known as funeral cake, originates from the West Virginia coal fields where my mother spent much of her youth. Designed to be made at the last minute when a fellow churchgoer or neighbor has lost a loved one, this cake can be easily created from ingredients most home cooks have on hand (flour, sugar, eggs and cocoa).
Although this cake can brighten even the darkest of days, superstitions surround it. Many believe its culinary powers transcend the dead, often turning normal human beings into chocolate-craving beasts. Perhaps it's the unusual combination of chocolate and cinnamon that initiates the transformation."
Cake: ½ cup (1 stick) butter 1 cup granulated sugar 1 egg, beaten 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon ground cloves 1 cup buttermilk Frosting: ½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa 3 cups powdered sugar 1/3 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Preheat oven to 350°
Cake: Lightly grease a 9-inch-square baking pan. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy (a standing mixer works well). Add egg and vanilla. Mix and sift flour, cocoa, cinnamon, baking soda and cloves, adding alternately with the buttermilk to the cream mixture.
Stir until smooth. Pour batter into pan; bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted comes out clean.
Frosting: Mix butter and cocoa in a big bowl. Alternately, add sifted powdered sugar and milk to the cocoa mixture; beat well until it has a spreadable consistency. Add vanilla. (Note: Add milk if frosting gets too thick.)
Spread frosting on warm cake, and be sure to lick the spoon!
Happy Birthday Mowgli - It's be a long ride - I could not have picked a better Brother-in-law. I just wish you would get a pot belly or something! I love you.
7 comments:
Happy Birthday, Jim! And also thanks for sharing that C'ville radio station with me. I really like it!
H A P P Y B I R T H D A Y
J I M M Y!!!
Happy Birthday, Jimmy! Hope you have a great day filled with all the things you love!
Susan
P.S. What's a West Virginia funeral cake???
Jim saw it in the newspaper a while back. The Accidental Chef wrote about it: "This sweet little number, also known as funeral cake, originates from the West Virginia coal fields where my mother spent much of her youth. Designed to be made at the last minute when a fellow churchgoer or neighbor has lost a loved one, this cake can be easily created from ingredients most home cooks have on hand (flour, sugar, eggs and cocoa).
Although this cake can brighten even the darkest of days, superstitions surround it. Many believe its culinary powers transcend the dead, often turning normal human beings into chocolate-craving beasts. Perhaps it's the unusual combination of chocolate and cinnamon that initiates the transformation."
WV Funeral Cake Recipe: Makes 1 cake.
Cake: ½ cup (1 stick) butter 1 cup granulated sugar 1 egg, beaten 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon ground cloves 1 cup buttermilk Frosting: ½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa 3 cups powdered sugar 1/3 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350°
Cake: Lightly grease a 9-inch-square baking pan. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy (a standing mixer works well). Add egg and vanilla. Mix and sift flour, cocoa, cinnamon, baking soda and cloves, adding alternately with the buttermilk to the cream mixture.
Stir until smooth. Pour batter into pan; bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted comes out clean.
Frosting: Mix butter and cocoa in a big bowl. Alternately, add sifted powdered sugar and milk to the cocoa mixture; beat well until it has a spreadable consistency. Add vanilla. (Note: Add milk if frosting gets too thick.)
Spread frosting on warm cake, and be sure to lick the spoon!
Happy Birthday Mowgli - It's be a long ride - I could not have picked a better Brother-in-law. I just wish you would get a pot belly or something! I love you.
Post a Comment