Food Network: Brooklyn Blackout Cake

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Brooklyn Blackout Cake
Courtesy Gale Gand, ?Butter Sugar Flour Eggs? by Gale Gand, Rick Tramonto, Julia Moskin, Clarkson N. Potter Publishers, 1999

Ingredients
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened at room temperature
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 cup whole, 2 percent fat, or 1 percent fat milk
Custard, recipe follows
Custard:
3 cups water
2 1/2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon corn syrup
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
Scant 2/3 cup cornstarch
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Butter and flour 2 (9-inch) cake pans. Cut 2 circles of parchment paper or waxed paper to fit the
bottoms of the pans, then press them in. In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or using a hand
mixer), cream the butter and shortening together. Add the sugar and mix until light and fluffy. One
by one, add the eggs, mixing after each addition. With the mixer running at low speed, add the
vanilla, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix. With the mixer still running at low
speed, add about 1/3 of the cake flour, then about 1/3 of the milk, and mix. Repeat with the
remaining cake flour and milk and mix. Pour into the prepared pans and bake until dry and springy
to the touch and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean (a few crumbs are okay), 30 to 35
minutes. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks and let cool completely,
to room temperature. Using a long serrated knife, cut the cake layers in half horizontally.

Reserving 3 halves for the cake, put the remaining half in a food processor, breaking it up with
your hands. Pulse into fine crumbs.
Custard: Pour 2 1/2 cups of the water, the sugar, corn syrup and cocoa powder into a large
non-reactive saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally. Meanwhile,
in a small bowl, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup of water and the cornstarch. Whisk into the cocoa
mixture in the saucepan and return the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking
constantly, until very thick, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and
vanilla. Pour into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, lightly pressing the plastic against the
surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill until firm, about 45 minutes.
To finish the cake, place a cake layer on a cake plate or serving platter (reserving the most even
layer for the top) and spread with cooled custard. Top with another layer of cake, then custard,
then the final layer of cake. Cover the top and sides of the cake with the remaining custard. Coat
the cake with the cake crumbs. Chill until ready to serve, at least 2 hours. Serve the same
day.