4 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 cup shortening or 1/2 lb butter
2 tsp vanilla
2 cup cake flour
2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
4 eggs
Directions
PREHEAT OVEN TO 350F. In a small, heavy-bottomed pan, melt chocolate
and shortening, stirring over low heat until smooth and melted.
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. In large bowl, combine flour,
sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add chocolate mixture,
milk and eggs, beating until smooth. Spread mixture in two greased
and floured 9-inch round cake pans. Bake for 30-to-35 minutes or
until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in
pans 5 minutes before turning out onto wire rack.
Servings: 10 servings
All-American Chocolate Cake Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Cake; Chocolate; Chocolate Cake; Dessert
The History of Recipes
Experts have traced the existance of recipes far back into antiquity, in fact as far back into recorded history as ancient Egypt, and maybe further still. Having said that, generally, these ancient recipes were just simple hieroglyphic instructions for preparing meals.
Interestingly, the most ancient recipe in existence, according to food historians is a collection of ancient tablets in the Sumerian language which show the baking of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as making drinkers feel blissful. During Roman times 25BC a roman called Apicius wrote some scripts showing how to cook the recipes enjoyed by wealthy Romans. In his scrolls, he recounts how the meals were split into starters, main meal and afters, known in latin as `Gustatio, Primae Mensae and Secundae Mensae`. He also recounts how the Romans were skilled in the use of many different aromatic flavours, including a few that are still present in modern kitchens like basil, mint and dill. Closer to modern times, we find a couple of books which date from the 14th Century ; a book entitled `Forme of Cury`, and another, similary called `Curye on Inglish`. Perhaps surprisingly, they have no connection with the curry that is served today, but rather accounts of the types of meals served to the nobility of that time. In the fifteenth century, people returning from the crusades brought back a variety of spices and herbs from Arab countries, including basil and coriander. These new foods and spices was responsible for an explosion in manuscripts on food, some of which are now in private libraries. During the succeeding few centuries, the powerful and wealthy houses strove to serve the most exotic meals, and as a consequence, the best cooks and their recipe collections could command a high salary. Nevertheless, it was during the 19th century that formal cookery and recipe publications rose to prominence. The Famous Mrs Isabella Beeton in the UK, and the equally well-known Fannie Merritt Farmer in the US, devoted much of their lives to collating, trying out, and recording recipes to allow everyone to enjoy them. By the arrival of the 1900s, cook books are greatly in demand mostly due to more people being able to read, people having more leisure time and having more money to spend. |
We hope you enjoy this All American Chocolate Cake recipe.
