From: sharen@iscnvx.lmsc.lockheed.com (Sharen A. Rund)
Subject: Re: Sourdough Chocolate Cake: What went wrong?
Keywords: sourdough
Organization: Lockheed Missiles and Space Co.
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 93 18:06:53 GMT

In article <1993Jan25.161617.16618@cbnews.cb.att.com> amo@cbnews.cb.att.com (arlene.m.osborne) writes:
>I made the following cake over the weekend from a recipe
>I got on the net (thanks, everyone!).  The cake smells and
>looks wonderfully rich, the filling goes nicely with it.
>However, the package of German Sweet Chocolate I had was
>4-oz and there were MANY squares in it.  Two weren't enough
>for the glaze, so I added several.  No matter what I did,
>the glaze maintained the consistency of coffee -- VERY
>watery (even after refrigeration when I got desperate.  It
>is still watery today).  Now is it something I did, or is 
>there a mistake in the following recipe?
>
 
I'd say you added too many chocolate squares - you probably got the 
same affect as if you added too much fruit to a jelly/jam recipe

in many cases in cooking, the exact amount of a main ingredient
can't be varied, e.g., if a jelly/jam recipe calls for 1 cup fruit & 
you add 1-1/2 cups you'll get running jelly/jam


>			 SOURDOUGH CHOCOLATE CAKE
>
>	1 cup sourdough	starter		 2 cups	all-purpose flour
>	1 1/2 tsps baking soda		 1 tsp ground cinnamon
>	1/2 tsp	salt			 1/2 cup butter
>	1 1/4 cups sugar		 1 tsp vanilla
>	3 squares (3-ozs) unsweetened	 2 eggs
>	  chocolate, melted and	cooled	 1 cup milk
>	Cocoa Cream Cheese Filling	 Sweet Chocolate Glaze
>
>       Bring sourdough starter to room temperature.  Grease and
>       flour two 9 x 1 1/2-inch	round cake pans; set aside.  Stir
>       together	the flour, baking soda,	cinnamon, and salt.  In	a
>       large bowl beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium
>       speed for 30 seconds.  Add sugar	and vanilla; beat until
>       fluffy.	Add eggs, one at a time, beating 1 mintue after
>       each addition.  Beat in the melted chocolate.
>
>       Combine the sourdough starter and milk.	Add dry	ingredients
>       and milk	mixture	alternately to beaten mixture beating until
>       well combined.  Turn the	batter into prepared pans.  Bake in
>       a 350F oven about 30 minutes or until done.  Cool 10 minutes
>       on wire racks.  Remove from pans; cool thoroughly on wire
>       racks.  Fill with Cocoa Cream Cheese Filling and	glaze cake
>       with Sweet Chocolate Glaze.  Drizzle a design atop with
>       reserved	cream cheese icing and top with	white chocolate
>       leaves.	Makes 12 servings.
>
>			  COCOA	CREAM CHEESE FILLING
>       1 cup sifted confectioner's sugar   1 3-oz package cream	cheese
>       1/4 tsp vanilla			   milk
>       2 Tbsps unsweetened cocoa powder	   1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar
>
>       In a small mixer bowl beat together the	1 cup powdered
>       sugar and cream cheese until fluffy.  Beat in the vanilla.
>       If necessary, beat in enough milk (about	2 tsps)	to make	of
>       pouring consistency.  Reserve 1/4 cup of	the mixture and	set
>       aside to	decorate the top of the	cake.  Stir the	cocoa powder
>       into the	remaining mixture in the bowl.	Add the	1/3 cup
>       powdered	sugar and beat until smooth.  Use the cocoa mixture
>       to spread between cake layers.  Makes 2/3 cup filling; 1/4
>       cup icing.
>
>			       SWEET CHOCOLATE GLAZE
>       3/4 cup sugar	    2 Tbsps cornstarch
>       1 cup water	    2 squares (2-ozs) German sweet chocolate, cut up
>       1 1/2 tsps vanilla
>
>       In a small saucepan combine the sugar, cornstarch and dash
>       salt.  Stir in water and	chocolate.  Cook; stir until
>       chocolate is melted and mixture is thickened.  Cook; stir 2
>       minutes more.  Remove from heat;	stir in	vanilla.
>
>       Cover surface with clear	plastic	wrap or	waxed paper.  Let
>       stand 10	to 15 minutes or until slightly	cooled and of
>       spreading consistency.  Spread glaze over top and sides of
>       cake.  Chill cake until set.  Makes 1 1/2 cups glaze.
>


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