I inherited Bea’s chocolate cake recipe, unexpectedly. This rich, moist cake is from upstate New York and dates back to the 1800s. Beatrice Nasaw, thanks for this honor and gift for me to share.

Ingredients

4 ounces Baker’s unsweetened chocolate
1 cup of milk

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup of milk

Preheat 350° F. Place rack in the middle of the oven.
Prepare a 10-inch spring cake pan with oil and flour.

Place chocolate and 1 cup milk in small sauce pan. Cook slowly and stir until chocolate melts. Cool.
(Microwave chocolate and milk in a glass measuring cup for 3 minutes, stir and microwave for another 3 minutes.) Cool.

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, vanilla and cooled chocolate mixture. Cream until well combined.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add flour mixture to the butter mixture alternately with 1/2 cup milk. Mix until smooth. This batter will be thinner than most cake batters.

Pour the batter into a prepared 10-inch spring cake pan. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes. The cake is done when the sides of the cake pull away from the cake pan and a knife inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean.