Creole Chocolate Cake

Sunday 11 August 2019








This cake I am sharing with you today is very dangerous.  Very, very dangerous, and on several levels.  Its rich and chocolaty, and probably loaded with calories that you don't want to think about.  You best be making it when you have someone to share it with. 


Trust me on this.  Second . . .  the danger level for me is that my husband doesn't like chocolate cake . . .  so what am I going to do with a whole chocolate cake all on my own.  Oh boy  . . .  why do I do this to myself.  Its a tough job but someone has to do it, right! 








Its probably been about 35 years since I have made this cake.  When I was in my late 20's and the mother of four young children, I collected the McCall's Cooking School recipes and binders.   I never got to finish collecting all of them, but I did collect quite a few.  



You could trust the McCall's Cooking School.  They were reliable, and this was one of my favourite recipes from the series.  Actually they were all favourites, but we won't go there!







This cake consists of a rich chocolaty layer cake  . . .  filled with a scrumptious fruit and nut caramel filling  . . .  whipped cream and then frosted with a scrumptious sour cream bittersweet chocolate frosting! 









Its not an every day kind of a cake  . . . its a special cake.  


This is the kind of cake you might want to bake when you have something you want  to celebrate . . . occasions like anniversaries, or, perhaps a birthday spring to mind! 








Oh yes . . .  Tuesday is my Birthday.  Happy 64th Birthday to me!  That's a great reason to celebrate.  Its been a hard year this past year, but I made it.  


So, chocolate hating husband's aside . . .  I  do think a rich, delicious, moreish chocolate cake is due me! 







Bear in mind that this cake is so rich and so delicious that, even though it is only 8 inches in diameter . . .  it feeds 16 people. 


You wouldn't want a really large piece of this! 






Trust me on this  . . .  a narrow slice is quite enough! 








The many times I have baked this luscious cake through the years, I have never managed to get the sides perfectly iced on it.  But I do my best  . . .  and nobody really complains. 









Least of all me . . .  Back in 2001 two of my sons came over for a visit.  We had bought them tickets to come, and they were here for my 46th Birthday.  


My oldest son baked me a lovely chocolate cake with a chocolate ganache frosting. It really cheered my heart.  Other than my mother, not many cakes have been baked for me through the years, other than by myself. 







But I am not complaining.  I love to bake and so baking myself a Birthday Cake is a real treat for me! 









The only way this could get any better would be if everyone who looked at this recipe donated a couple pounds to the blog . . . but that ain't going to happen.  Can you imagine?  


I'd never have to work again.  Whatever would I do with my time!  I'd rather bake cakes and cook pies, and create daily tastiness!  I can't imagine ever retiring, no matter how old I get . . .



Yield: 16
Author:

Creole Chocolate Cake

A sinfully delicious chocolate cake that you will be unable to resist.  From the McCall's Cooking School of the late 1970's early 80's.

ingredients:

For the Cake:
  • 280g plain flour (2 cups all purpose)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 120g butter (1/2 cup)
  • 120ml salad oil (1/2 cup)
  • 3 ounces unsweetened dark chocolate (broken into squares)
  • 380g sugar (2 cups)
  • 2 large free range eggs, beaten
  • 120ml sour milk (1/2 cup)
  • 240ml water
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Filling:
  • 60ml water (1/4 cup)
  • 150g evaporated milk (5.3 ounce tin) (NOT the sweetened condensed)
  • 150g sugar (3/4 cup)
  • 40g seedless raisins chopped (1/4 cup)
  • 125g chopped dates (1/2 cup)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 60g chopped toasted walnuts of pecans (1/2 cup)
  • You will also need 120ml/1/2 cup of chilled heavy cream
For the Frosting:
  • 170g semi sweet chocolate chips (about 1 cup)
  • 60g sour cream (1/2 cup)
  • pinch salt

instructions:

How to cook Creole Chocolate Cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter two 8 inch cake tins and line the bottoms with baking paper. Place the chocolate for the cake, salad oil and butter in a saucepan. Cook, stirring to melt the chocolate and amalgamate everything. Stir in the water. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
  2. To make sour milk, add 1 1/2 tsp of vinegar to a cup and fill with milk to measure. Do this now.
  3. Sift the flour and soda into a bowl. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the sugar, eggs, sour milk and vanilla to combine. Stir in the chocolate mixture, just to combine and divide between the two cake tins. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes. The tops should spring back when lightly touched. Let cool in the tins for 5 minutes before tipping layers out onto a wire rack to cool completely.  Remove the baking paper and discard.
  4. To make the filling combine the water, milk and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the raisins and dates. Cook, stirring until the mixture bubbles and thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and nuts. Set aside to cool.
  5. Whip the cream for the filling until stiff peaks form.
  6. Place one cake layer on a cake plate. Spread with the filling. Top with the whipped cream to cover and then place the remaining layer on top.
  7. To make the frosting, melt the chocolate pieces in the top of a double boiler over hot water until smooth. Stir in the sour cream and salt. Beat until smooth and then allow to cool until it is of a spreading consistency. Spread over the top and sides of the cake. Chill one hour prior to serving.
Created using The Recipes Generator 




I am in a real quandary now as to what I am going to do with the remainder of the cake.  I think my next door neighbour is in for a treat.  After all if I want to make it to 65, I don't want to be eating this whole cake all by myself! 

Tastes You Can Look Forward to in the Week to Come:
(always subject to change according to my whims)

Monday: Easy Boston Baked Beans
Tuesday: Stilton Steaks with Sweet Potato & Garlic Mash
Wednesday: Chicken Schnitzels
Thursday: Chunky Puy Lentil & Vegetable Soup
Friday:  Back to the 60's Shrimp Cocktails
Saturday: Perfect Sticky Toffee Pudding Cakes
Sunday: Lemon Mousse 

Now that's a lot of tastiness to look forward to!  I hope you will pop back to see how I am getting on with it all!


This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com 



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18 comments

  1. Mmmmm this looks and sounds delicious! My husband loves chocolate cake so I´m always trying different recipes..will definitely be trying this!!

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    1. I can just say he is in for a wonderfully delicious treat! I hope he enjoys it as much as I do! xoxo

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  2. Decadence and elegance enveloped in chocolate. Perfect.

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    1. It IS the perfect celebration chocolate cake Katy! I really mean that! xoxo

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  3. The filling !:) I too made a choco cake yesterday taht turned out dangerous:)

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    1. Ohh, I can't wait to see it Monique! August is a month for dangerous cakes methinks! xoxo

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  4. I cannot wait to make this cake, it looks delicious. Happy Birthday!

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  5. Marie,
    Thanks for posting this recipe. I have the exact cookbook. I went to the kitchen and pulled it out and found this recipe. My cookbook looks brand new. I don't know why I've put it away! Maybe I'll bake this cake today! I turned 63 last week, so I bet we were collecting this cookbook around the same time.(I didn't bake my own birthday cake this year, but have had to in the past.) I didn't collect it all, either. It would have ended up costing a couple hundred dollars! I totally enjoy your English Kitchen blog. I love cooking and baking and own over 60 cookbooks. Love new recipes. Thank you for sharing yours.

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    1. I wish I did have all of it Deborah! Just two binders filled with plenty of recipes, but by no means complete! YOU need to bake the cake! I own an embarassing amount of cookery books. I daren't say! Thanks very much for your kind comment! xoxo

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  6. I'm not a huge chcolate fan but I have to say this one looks really good to me!

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    1. It is an excellent cake. Todd, who is not a chocolate fan, said it was quite good, which I took as a compliment! xoxo

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  7. I'm 70 this year and I too have some of that cook book, wonder why so many of us have it. I love this chocolate cake and printed the recipe to make sometime in a week or two. I just made my hubby a blueberry pie and will have to wait until it is gone. He love chocolate too, so I won't have to eat it all myself. I am glad I found your blog. I have been to England when I was younger and had a young family. I friends mother invited me to come over for a weeks visit and it was grand. I did see Buckingham Palace and a few other places. I did so enjoy the food. I wished I did not have to come back home, but I had young kids waiting for me. Hugs Lynda Ruth

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    1. Hi Lynda Ruth! Nice to meet you! I think that it was a very popular recipe book for women of our age. I just turned 64, so we are very close in age! I can remember McCalls being my go to magazine for knowledge at that time. That along with Family Circle and Women's Day! Oh, your hubby is really lucky to have you make him a blueberry Pie! I love it here in the UK. I do miss family however. If I could just have them living over here, it would be perfect! xoxo

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  8. Lovely recipe. I would love to bake it.

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  9. The cake sure is dangerous as mentioned by you :). But will surely be getting into this danger zone :) Thanks for your recipes. Keep it up.

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    Replies
    1. You are very welcome. I really hope that you enjoy this cake! Thank you!

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