Name: Mrs. Stein's Chocolate Cake
Yield: Makes 10 to 12 servings
Ingredients: Softened unsalted butter and flour, for the pan; 1 1/2 cups whole milk; 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice; 2 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour; 1 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder; 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt; 1/2 ounce (1/2 square) unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped; 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes; 1 3/4 cups superfine sugar; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 3 large eggs, at room temperature, beaten; Confectioners' sugar, for garnish, optional

Mrs. Stein's Chocolate CakeQuentin Bacon

When I was gathering the recipes for this chapter, my daughters, Jennifer and Tina, reminded me of an almost ridiculously chocolate pound cake that I hadn't made in years. How I let this one slip through the cracks, I'll never know. I did some searching, and there it was, tucked away in my treasured recipe book. It was splattered with chocolate batter, a clear indication that it was a favorite that I made again and again. I received this recipe from Mrs. Stein, a Hungarian beauty who was a relative of my father-in-law, Joe Firestone. Welcome back, old friend.

Recipe information

Yield
Makes 10 to 12 servings

Ingredients

Softened unsalted butter and flour, for the pan

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 ounce (1/2 square) unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped

10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 3/4 cups superfine sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 large eggs, at room temperature, beaten

Confectioners' sugar, for garnish, optional

Preparation

Step 1
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter and flour the inside of a 8 to 10-cup fluted tube pan and tap out the excess flour.
Step 2
2. Combine the milk and lemon juice in a glass measuring cup. Let stand in a warm place (near the preheating oven) while preparing the rest of the batter; the milk will curdle. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together into a medium bowl.
Step 3
3. Bring 1/2 inch of water to a simmer in a small saucepan, and turn off the heat. Place the chocolate in a custard cup or ramekin and set in the hot water. Let stand until the chocolate is melted, then remove from the water, being careful not to splash any water into the chocolate, and stir until smooth. Let stand until tepid.
Step 4
4. Beat the butter in the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Gradually beat in the sugar, then add the vanilla. Beat until the mixture is very light in color and texture, scraping occasionally, about 4 minutes. Gradually beat in the eggs. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Beat in the cooled chocolate. In thirds, alternating with two equal additions of the milk mixture, add the flour mixture, scraping down the bowl and beating until smooth after each addition. Spoon the batter into the pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
Step 5
5. Bake until the top of the cake springs back when gently pressed with your finger, and a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert and unmold the cake onto the rack and cool completely. Sift a light coating of confectioners' sugar on top, if using. (The cake can be stored at room temperature, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 2 days.)

Reprinted with permission from Sarabeth's Bakery: From My Hands to Yours by Sarabeth Levine with Rick Rodgers, © October 2010 Rizzoli New York