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The Rombauer Special Chocolate Cake

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The Rombauer Special Chocolate Cake

Cuisine:American

Course:Dessert

30m prep 30m cook 1h 0m ready

One 13 × 9-inch cake; 16 to 20 servings Dating back to the 1931 edition of Joy, this was Irma’s go-to recipe for family birthdays. It is a light chocolate sheet cake by today’s standards, but pleasing nonetheless and made elegant with a coating of marshmallow-like frosting. Have all ingredients at room temperature, about 70°F. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 13 × 9-inch pan.

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Ingredients

Servings:
½× 1× 1½× 2× 3×
Units:
As Written US Metric
  • 1 ¾ cups sifted (175g) cake flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • (1 teaspoon ground cinnamon)
  • (¼ teaspoon ground cloves)
  • (1 cup coarsely chopped toasted walnuts or pecans)
  • 2 ounces (55g) unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
  • ⅓ cup (80g) boiling water
  • 1 stick (4 oz or 115g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ½ cups (300g) sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 4 large eggs
  • ½ cup (120g) milk
  • 1
    • 1 cup sugar
    • ½ cup water
    • 3 large egg whites
    • ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    Sub-recipe steps
    1. Stir in a small heavy saucepan until the sugar is dissolved, then bring to a boil over high heat: 1 cup sugar; ½ cup water
    2. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer to allow the steam to wash down any sugar crystals on the sides of the pan. In the meantime, beat in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment at medium-high speed until stiff: 3 large egg whites; ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
    3. Turn the mixer down to the lowest speed and continue to beat. Uncover the syrup and cook to 235° to 240°F, the soft-ball stage. Beating the whites at high speed, add the syrup in a slow, thin stream down the side of the bowl. Avoid pouring the hot syrup onto the spinning whisk. Add: 1 teaspoon vanilla
    4. Continue to beat at high speed until the icing has cooled, 7 to 10 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium and beat 1 more minute. Use at once.
  • 4 ounces (115g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Let's Prepare

Collect

Gather these ingredients - no prep needed yet.

  • 1 ¾ cups sifted (175g) cake flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • (1 teaspoon ground cinnamon)
  • (¼ teaspoon ground cloves)
  • (1 cup coarsely chopped toasted walnuts or pecans)
  • 2 ounces (55g) unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
  • ⅓ cup (80g) boiling water
  • 1 stick (4 oz or 115g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ½ cups (300g) sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 4 large eggs
  • ½ cup (120g) milk
  • 1 Fluffy White Frosting
  • 4 ounces (115g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Let's Cook

  1. Step 1.

    Whisk together thoroughly in a medium bowl: 1 ¾ cups sifted (175g) cake flour; 1 tablespoon baking powder; ½ teaspoon salt; (1 teaspoon ground cinnamon); (¼ teaspoon ground cloves); (1 cup coarsely chopped toasted walnuts or pecans)

  2. Step 2.

    Melt in a double boiler or heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water: 2 ounces (55g) unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped

  3. Step 3.

    Whisk into the melted chocolate: ⅓ cup (80g) boiling water

  4. Step 4.

    Beat in a large bowl, or in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, on high speed until creamy: 1 stick (4 oz or 115g) unsalted butter, softened

  5. Step 5.

    Add and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes: 1 ½ cups (300g) sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla

  6. Step 6.

    Beat in, one at a time: 4 large eggs

  7. Step 7.

    Add the cooled chocolate mixture. Beating on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 3 parts, alternating with: ½ cup (120g) milk

  8. Step 8.

    in 2 parts. Beat the batter until smooth after each addition, scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

  9. Step 9.

    Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack.

  10. Step 10.

    When cool, spread with: Fluffy White Frosting

  11. Step 11.

    Drizzle over the frosting: 4 ounces (115g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

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