Recipe - Chocolate Layer Cake With Date Filling

One fourth cup Sugar.
4 ounce Unsweetened chocolate : 1
tbsp. all purp. flour
2 One half cup Sifted cake flour : Speck of
Salt
2 teaspoon Baking powder : One half cup plus
2 tbsp. chopped black
Three fourths teaspoon Salt : walnuts or pecans
One half cup (1 stick) butter, softened :
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cup Granulated sugar : FUDGE
FROSTING
2 Eggs : 1 pound
confectioners' sar
2 teaspoon Vanilla extract : 1/3 cup
plus 2 tbsp. cocoa powder
2 cup Buttermilk, at room temp. :
One fourth cup (One half stick) butter,
softened
: DATE FILLING
: 1 egg white
1 cup Milk : 1 tsp. vanilla
extract
One half cup Chopped dates : One fourth tsp.
salt
1 Egg : 5 tbsp. evaporated
miÐmlk

Serves 12

"The date filling makes this special, and the frosting is unusually good.
Because the cake has a custard filling, it needs to be kept refrigerated."

Preheat oven to 350 F. Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler
over barely simmering water (or in the microwave). Sift the flour, baking
powder, and salt together. In a large mixer bowl, cream the butter and
sugar until the mixture is fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well
after each addition. Blend in the melted chocolate and vanilla. Add the dry
ingredients to the chocolate mixture, alternating with the buttermilk and
beginning and ending with the flour. Do not overbeat.

Pour the batter into three 8 inch buttered cake layer pans. Bake for 25 to
30 minutes, or until the cake has shrunk away a bit from the sides of the
pans and the tops spring back when touched with your finger. Allow to stand
in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool. While the cakes
are cooling, prepare the filling and frosting.

To make the filling, heat the milk and dates in the top of a double boiler
over hot water until the milk is scalded. Beat the egg, then add the sugar,
flour, and salt; beat again. Add One half cup of the hot milk mixture to the egg
mixture, then stir back into the pan and cook for 3 minutes, until thick,
stirring with a rubber spatula. Let cool. Add the nuts, and vanilla.
Refrigerate for 1One half hours before filling the cake.

To make the frosting, combine all the ingredients in a large mixer bowl.
Beat on high speed for 1 minute, or until the frosting is light and creamy.

To assemble, place 1 cake layer on a large plate and cover to within 1/4
inch of the edge with half the chilled filling. Top with another cake layer
and the remaining filling mixture. Finish with the last cake layer. Frost
the sides and top of the cake with the fudge frosting forming swirls on the
top with a knife. Refrigerate, but bring to room temperature before
serving.

From: Cooking From Quilt Country Shared By: Pat Stockett

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini