Millinocket Fudge Cake

I don't know why this cake is called Millinocket Fudge Cake, and when I googled it, the only relevant result I found was from a transcribed copy of this exact recipe, which is kind of weird. From what I can tell, Millinocket is a city in Maine and that's it. It's not particularly known for its cakes, it's definitely not known for THIS cake, and there's no other results on the whole internet.

I don't know why this is the case, because this cake is so good.

Let's back up a second. We all know how much I love cake, and how indifferent (at best) Judson is to it. But when you're facing down your second week of temperatures that don't crest the freezing point, the ground is covered in week-old slush mud that just won't quit and you're spending half of your waking hours either bundling up the dog to go for a walk or drying her off when you come in from a walk... there are few things you need more than cake. An easy, chocolate-fudgey cake with sprinkles that doesn't require fancy frosting techniques or multiple layers or a separate recipe for filling. Just a square chocolate cake with the plushest crumb and the fudgiest frosting (almost a glaze, really). A cake that is light and airy on the first day but settles, on the second day, into a chocolate-fudge wonder with a dense, brownie-like top. THAT is what you need to get you through January.

So that's what I made. Millinocket or not, this cake is amazing. The frosting almost pours onto the cake, so you don't need to deal with a lot of decorating faff, and it makes the whole process of getting from ingredients to cake to your mouth that much faster. (Seriously, I think from start to snacking this took 45 minutes, excluding cooking time).

The best thing about this cake is... well, it's probably the frosting, to be honest. But the other best thing about it is that it's super simple but still pretty enough to serve to company or take to a party (or to work, if you can be bothered to share). It's the perfect thing to whip up after work to take to a party that same night, and no one else has to know how easy it is.

The verdict:

5 spoons out of five. I'm honestly already considering making another one of these to keep for ourselves. I think it would probably freeze well, right?

ONE YEAR AGO: TOLL HOUSE MARBLE SQUARES
TWO YEARS AGO: HAPPY NEW YEAR!

the recipe:

Millinocket Fudge Cake with Quick Fudge Frosting

the directions:
cake:

Preheat oven to 175C/350F and line a 9” square pan with paper on the bottom.
Melt the chocolate and set aside.
Sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt, then set aside.
Cream butter and sugar until very light and fluffy.
Add eggs and vanilla and beat until light.
Blend in cooled chocolate on low speed until mixture is uniform.
Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with milk, beating until smooth.
Stir in boiling water, which will make mixture VERY thin.
Pour into prepared pan and bake 50-60 minutes, until a pick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Allow to cool to room temperature (or nearly) and frost.

frosting:

Sift powdered sugar, cocoa and salt together.
Heat evaporated milk until warm and add butter to evaporated milk.
Stir once or twice so butter softens slightly.
Add evaporated milk mixture and vanilla to powdered sugar mixture.
Beat with electric mixer until smooth, room temperature and fluffy.
Pour over cooled cake and add sprinkles immediately if desired.

Serves 12, generously.

the ingredients:
the cake:

2 oz dark chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
1 ¾ c (210g) flour
1 ½ tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
¾ tsp salt
½ c (114g) butter, softened
1 ½ c (300g) sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
½ c (4oz) milk
¾ c (6oz) boiling water

 

the frosting:

2 c (250g) powdered sugar
¼ c (25g) cocoa
1/8 tsp salt
¼ c (2oz) evaporated milk
2 tbsp (29g) butter
1 tsp vanilla

Optional: sprinkles!

Brandied Kumquats

This recipe is a bit of a cheat, because it's not actually IN the Recipe Box. All I have from the Box is the title of the recipe, at the bottom of a torn-off piece of newspaper that included the recipe for Cinnamon Pecans that let me down way back in 2015. But I was immediately taken with the idea of Brandied Kumquats- I adore brandied cranberries and I positively relish citrus fruits, so I figured this would be totally up my alley.* What I didn't account for was the fact that I no longer live in Florida, the land of kumquats, where they grow so plentifully that people throw them instead of candy in parades, and instead I live in Scotland, where the only thing that grows between the months of September and May is neeps.

For the last two years and two months, ever since I found the name of this recipe in the Box, I've had my eye out for kumquats, and this week I finally found them, at the rich people supermarket, of course. I came home and googled recipes for brandied kumquats but none of them sounded like exactly what I wanted- a citrusy version of cranberry sauce, the perfect mix of sour, sweet, bitter and boozy. So I invented my own recipe.

I'm not really sure what to do with these now that I have them- I love the flavour enough to just snack on them, but I've also made a citrusy riff on an old-fashioned with them, adding a sliced kumquat and two spoonfuls of the sugared brandy to a glass of bourbon and serving over ice. I served some with pork chops and they were great that way too; I think they'd be lovely chopped coarsely and stirred into scone dough, or sprinkled on top of a cardamom bun, but I'm happy enough eating them straight from the jar or mixed into cocktails.

These will last forever in the fridge, so make them when you find kumquats and then use them to your heart's content!

*When I saw I love citrus, I mean it: one of my favourite snacks is citrus peel, and Judson finds it repulsive that my preferred method of eating an orange is whole, like an apple.

The verdict:

5 spoons out of five. These are slightly more on the sweet side than cranberries treated in the same way would be, but they still have that essential tartness and most importantly, the edge of bitterness from the peel and the alcohol. They work well in cocktails (I can't wait to try one as a garnish for a gin & tonic!) and even better as a side dish or topping to pork, pastry and more. Plus, they're a cinch to make- what more could you want?

One year ago:Toll House Marble Squares
two years ago: Happy New Year!

The recipe:

Brandied Kumquats

the directions:

Prick kumquats all over with a wooden pick or the tip of a paring knife (you want AS MANY HOLES AS POSSIBLE, so don't skimp).
Heat kumquats, sugar and brandy over low heat, stirring constantly, until all sugar has dissolved.
Continue cooking for 3-5 more minutes until syrup has thickened and kumquats are softened.
If any of your kumquats are still stiff, poke them with a paring knife in the pot and keep stirring.
Leave to cool slightly in the pot, stirring occasionally.
As they cool, they'll become translucent.
After 30 minutes, add ¼ c more brandy and stir into mixture.
Pour mixture into a jar and refrigerate or use.

Will keep in refrigerator for at least one month, probably longer.

the ingredients:

1 lb (500g) kumquats, washed and stems removed
2 c (250g) sugar
½ c (4oz) brandy, plus additional for topping up

Apple Kuchen

It may be a new year but we've still got a Recipe Box full of mystery dishes and there's bound to be some disasters in there... so it should come as no surprise that I already found one, on only the second week of the year. The thing that DID come as a surprise to me is that this disaster is an apple tart recipe. In the history of my baking life (admittedly not an illustrious history, but a history nonetheless) I have neither baked nor tasted an apple dessert I do not like.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not an apple fanatic- I'd choose Anything With Frosting or Most Things with Chocolate over an apple dessert most days- but the great thing about apple desserts is how reliable they are. They're always tasty, they're always cosy and they make your house smell amazing when you bake them; you can reliably make one anytime of year without waiting for the fruit to be in season; they often work just as well for a luxurious breakfast as they do for a dinner-party worthy dessert; many taste as delicious warm from the oven as they do at room temperature; most people like them and I've never met anyone allergic to them to date.

All that said, I finally found an apple dessert that is just not worth it. I made this one recent frosty morning when outside was so cold that the ice on the ground still hadn't melted from days before and I just wanted something warming in my kitchen. This kuchen was supposed to do the trick but it lied to us, dear reader.

First of all, this cake requires that you make a dough (yes, a dough, not a batter) and then line a springform pan with it. This should have been hint #1 that things would quickly go south, but I thought I was experienced enough to handle a freeform tart so I went ahead with it. The dough is then pressed into the bottom of the springform and up the sides of it, but there wasn't nearly enough dough so it was almost impossible to get the dough more than ½-inch or so up the sides without making bald spots on the bottom of the pan. Once that's done, you fill the middle with a cooked-apple mixture you've already made, and which is so full of juice that the pan is basically just a bowl of liquid.

Then you bake it, praying the whole time that it doesn't leak hot caramelised apple liquid onto the bottom of your oven (for once, it didn't!) and when it's done, you try to saw through it with every serrated knife you own. The cake portion of this cooked up thin and crunchy, but, like, not in a good way. The texture was cardboard-y and flavourless, except for the filling. The really unfortunate part about this kuchen is that the filling is actually delicious... so delicious that we may or may not have scooped the apple-cherry filling out and stirred it into a bowl of porridge for breakfast on the morning after I made this ill-fated recipe... and again every day until we ran out of filling.

As always, despite the fact that it's a disaster, I'm including the full recipe. Don't make this cake, but if you're in the mood for the best porridge of your life, make this filling. It works on pancakes, in porridge, in yoghurt and also probably in ice cream, but I didn't get around to testing that for sure before I ran out of filling.

If you're on the hunt for a better apple recipe, check out the others (all better than this!) over here.

The verdict:

2 spoons out of five. I can't give it any less because of how good that filling was, man.

After making a Load of newspaper recipes from this box, it's a little embarrassing how fast i was able to identify the woman on the bottom right as Betty crocker.

One year ago: crazy crust apple pie
two years ago: Happy New Year!

the recipe:

Apple Kuchen

the directions:
filling:

Simmer apple slices and raisins or cherries in just enough water to cover them until apples are just tender but still retain their shape (about 10 minutes).
Meanwhile, combine sugar, cinnamon and orange zest.
Drain fruit, then stir sugar mixture into fruit.
This will immediately make a syrup, but that's ok.

dough:

Preheat oven to 210C/425F and grease an 8-inch springform pan.
Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
Work in butter by mixing at low speed.
Beat in eggs, then stir in milk JUST until combined.
Spread dough on bottom and up sides of prepared springform pan.
Pour fruit mixture into pan along with any syrup that has formed.
Bake 45-50 minutes, until crust is deep golden and filling is firm-ish and bubbly.

the ingredients:
the filling:

5 c (600g) apples, peeled, cored & sliced thinly
½ c (75g) golden raisins or dried cherries
2/3 c (134g) sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp orange zest

he dough:

1 c (120g) flour
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
2 ½ tbsp (35g) butter
2 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp milk