Championship Fudge Cake: Fluffo Retro Ad & Recipe

I love Vintage Ads with Recipes, and this one "Takes the Cake." This is a recipe for Mrs. Vik's Championship Fudge Cake. Grammatically incorrect (.. a new kind of cakes),  and really? Golden Fluffo!

Be sure and Scroll down for the 1955 TV commercial with a very young Mike Wallace.  Fluffo. The label says "Pure shortening. Artificially colored."

Fluffo All-Vegetable Shortening is ideal for baking and frying. If you want your baked goods to have a buttery flavour use Fluffo. For frying Fluffo is ideal as it doesn't burn or scorch. Fluffo is cholesterol-free, gluten-free and designated Kosher.

CHAMPIONSHIP FUDGE CAKE

Ingredients
2 cups sifted cake flour
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup FLUFFO (solid vegetable shortening)
1/2 tsp. double-acting baking powder
2 squares melted unsweetened chocolate (you can use a good dark chocolate and reduce sugar)
1 1/2 cup milk (add 2/3 cup twice)
3 eggs (2/3 cup)
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions
Combine flour, sugar, salt, soda and baking powder in mixing bowl. Add shortening, melted chocolate and 2/3 cup milk. Beat vigorously by hand or mixer (medium speed) for 2 minutes, scraping bowl often.
Add eggs, 2/3 cup milk and vanilla. Beat for 2 minutes.
Pour into two 9" cake pans 1 1/2" deep, rubbed with shortening or lined with paper.
Bake 35 - 40 minutes at 350˚.
Cool 10 - 15 minutes, remove from pans and cool on wire cake rack.

Luscious Fudge Frosting:
Mix 1/3 cup shortening, 1 egg, 3 cups sifted confectioners' sugar and 1/4 tsp. salt.
Add 2 1/2 squares melted unsweetened chocolate and beat thoroughly.
Add 5 Tbsp cream or top milk, one at a time while beating, beat until smooth and good spreading consistency.

Mocha Icing:
Add 1 tbsp. instant coffee, dissolved in cream.
Mint Icing: Add 1/8 to 1/4 tsp. mint flavoring during final beating.

Star Spangled Cocoa Bundt Cake: Fourth of July

I always say you should check out recipes on food product sites that you like, and for me, the Hershey's Kitchens site is a regular stop.

I grew up in Philadelphia. My Aunt lived in Harrisburg, so Hershey's, being on the way, was a frequent stop. I remember the Hershey Factory tour that took us on catwalks over rooms filled with chocolate vats, without barriers. I always thought you could fall into the vats. This was pre-Willy Wonka. I'm sure my memory is impaired, but it was a child's paradise and fantasy. I know Hershey Park had lots of amusement rides, a roller coaster, possibly a pool, but our family never availed ourselves of those 'amusements'. We always went on the eductional tour. We did have chocolate, though, so I'm grateful.

Hershey, PA is a very different place now with an enormous hotel, amusement park, spa, first class restaurants, kitchens and more. Hershey's always seems so American to me! Patriotic, even. So I'm not surprised that this Hershey's Kitchens' Cocoa Bundt Cake has become of my favorite recipes, and here it is, all dressed up for the Fourth of July. I've adapted the recipe slightly.

Star Spangled Cocoa Bundt Cake

Ingredients

3/4 cup  sweet butter, softened
1-2/3 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon Madagascar vanilla extract
3/4 cup sour cream
2 tsp baking soda
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk*
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup DARK Cocoa

1/2 tsp salt

Powdered sugar

Fresh blueberries and strawberries

Sweetened whipped cream

Directions
1 Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 12-cup bundt pan (with a hole in the middle)*
2 Beat butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla in large bowl until fluffy; beat in sour cream. Stir baking soda into buttermilk; set aside. Stir together flour, cocoa and salt; add alternately with buttermilk mixture to butter mixture. Beat 2 minutes on medium speed of mixer. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3 Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until wooden pick inserted comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Place cake on serving plate. Sift powdered sugar on top and sides of cake. Top with blueberries, strawberries. Serve with whipped cream.

* If you don't have buttermilk, here's how to sour milk: Mix 1 Tbsp white vinegar plus milk to equal 1 cup.

Photo: Hershey's Kitchens

FOURTH OF JULY STRAWBERRY PIE

For me, Fourth of July is all about Strawberries and Whipped Cream. I used to make an awesome Fourth of July Trifle with Strawberries, Berries, Whipped Cream and Chocolate Pound Cake. Come to think of it, I might make one this year. In the meantime, I decided to make an Easy Fourth of July Strawberry Pie, but of course I want chocolate with that, so I'm making a Chocolate Cookie Crust. 

EASY FOURTH OF JULY STRAWBERRY PIE

Chocolate Cookie Crust

25-30 chocolate cookie wafers (I use Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers), 4 Tbsp sweet butter, melted and cooled. Heat oven to 350°F.  Whirl cookies in food processor until crumbs are fine. Put in medium bowl, add melted butter, and mix until combined. Put crumb mixture in 9-inch pie plate and press evenly and firmly on bottom and up sides. Bake at 350 for 10 to 15 minutes. Cool (on wire rack) before filling.

Filling & Topping

Mash 2 cups of strawberries (chunky not macerated). Put in small saucepan. Add sugar (to taste-depends on strawberries-about 1/2 cup?), 1/4 cup corn starch, dash of salt, 1 tsp vanilla or 1 Tbsp  lemon juice (or both) Bring to simmer until thickened. Cool completely. Add rest of strawberries (cut up or sliced) and put in baked cooled Chocolate Cookie Crust. Put in fridge for 2 hours to set. Top with whipped cream, big whole strawberries and blueberries!

Happy Independence Day!

Chocolate Gingersnaps: National Ginger Snap Day

Today is National Gingersnap Day! I love Gingersnaps--or Ginger Snaps, as some spell it! Although they're usually associated with the holidays, they're fabulous all year round. They're also a very versatile cookie, and I often crush them up, add a bit of melted butter and use them as a crust for various pies, especially chocolate silk pie. If you end up making these gingersnaps bigger, you can also use them for the cookies in a Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwich!

So here's a great easy Chocolate Gingersnap Cookie Recipe  (adapted from Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook via About.com Home Cooking) that uses both fresh and ground ginger and cocoa and chopped dark chocolate! How can you go wrong?

Tip: If you haven't used these dried spices since the holidays, you might want to check their freshness. They do have a shelf-life, and it would be sad to ruin these delicious cookies with 'stale' ingredients.

CHOCOLATE GINGERSNAPS

Ingredients
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sweet butter
1/4 cup molasses
1 Tbsp water
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
1-1/2 cups flour
1 Tbsp Dark cocoa
1-1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
7 ounces high quality dark chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup sugar

Directions
In large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses, water and minced fresh ginger.
Combine flour, cocoa, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in chocolate. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or until easy to handle.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on greased (or parchment-lined) baking sheets.
Bake cookies at 350 F. for 10 to 12 minutes or until tops begin to crack. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks.