Pennsylvania-Dutch Chocolate Cake
Despite my love for elaborate European pastries, my favorite dessert will always be this Pennsylvania-Dutch Chocolate Layer Cake. Many years ago, my spouse’s mother obtained this recipe from her friend, a woman named Mary Harsh, who lived in the small town of Millersburg, Pennsylvania, I received the recipe several years ago. I immediately fell in love with the cake.
The original recipe was for a small 8-inch cake, but my layer cakes were always 9-inches. Thus I needed to make some amendations. While making these changes, I began experimenting with a cake that was more chocolatey and a bit richer. I increased the amount of cocoa and added a touch of melted semisweet chocolate. I’ve discovered in many recipes that mixing both cocoa and chocolate gives a deeper, more satisfying chocolate flavor and better texture.
For richness, I added more eggs, butter, buttermilk, and vanilla. For a slightly higher cake, I used a small amount of baking powder—not enough to suggest the unpleasant metallic taste that too much baking powder can impart. In sum, I hope that Mary Harsh would approve of my changes.
I’ve discovered that cakes should never be over-baked by even a minute, or they become dry. Consequently, I begin testing for doneness several minutes before the cake should be finished. Baking cakes just to this ideal point keeps them moist and fresh for nearly a week. There is one drawback to this method. The cakes are extremely delicate to handle. So do take special care when unmolding and frosting a cake done this way. I assume this is one reason most bakeries tend to over-bake cakes.
In the photo accompanying this recipe, I used an elegant French vanilla buttercream. This icing is prevalent in some of the finest pastry shops in Paris. It uses 6 beaten egg yolks that are poached with a hot sugar syrup. An obscene quantity of unsalted butter is incorporated, followed by 2 cups of meringue italienne.
I suggest you select the icing of your choice. I have very successfully used the following frostings: chocolate butter cream, caramel, peanut butter, maple walnut, and coconut.
To print or download the recipe, click here.
