Lost Foods of New York City: Brooklyn Blackout Cake

[elleng]

'Today, the cake that once defined the borough’s sweet tooth is hardly a blip on New York’s dessert radar—unless you ask someone over the age of 55. Then the floodgates open and you begin to hear apocryphal tales like the one food historian Arthur Schwartz shares in his book New York City Food (Stewart, Tabori and Chang, 2004).

“[When my sister and I] were teenagers and didn’t have dates on a Saturday night," he writes, "we would consume an entire cake.”

To bring the youngsters (myself included) up to speed: blackout cake is a three-tiered devil’s food cake layered with chocolate pudding, slicked with dark chocolate frosting, and topped with additional devil’s food crumbs. The cake was popularized in Brooklyn by the Ebinger Baking Company, a one-storefront operation opened in 1898 on Flatbush Avenue that, over time, swelled to a baking institution with more than 50 locations around Brooklyn and Queens. . .

Brooklyn Blackout Cake This cake isn’t terribly hard to make, but there are a terrible number of steps. Simplify the preparation by prepping the ingredients for each step before getting started on it. Also, since this cake is all about the chocolate, I recommend using good quality cocoa and chocolate.

https://www.politico.com/states/new-york/albany/story/2012/08/lost-foods-of-new-york-city-brooklyn-blackout-cake-072297

[choie]

1. Ah Yes!

My father, mother and older sister used to tell my younger sister and I stories about this wondrous cake. I think they said it came in a green box? Unfortunately, by the time me and my younger sis were growing up, Ebingers was a fond memory, or at least, very hard to come by.. Thanks for posting this, Elleng!

[elleng]

2. You're welcome, choie.

I don't recall conversations about this, but wouldn't be surprised if it was on some in my family's favorite list; many of us lived in Brooklyn for years.

[sprinkleeninow]

3. 😋

[Marie Marie]

4. Now this is truly Death by chocolate.

But I would die happy. That looks dangerously decadent.

[dixiegrrrrl]

5. Book marking...

Death by chocolate indeed. My teeth are shuddering. Gotta try it.

One time a co-worker brought in a cake that seemed to have as much chocolate as this one, it for sure had 3 layers, but was more of a fudge texture. And heavy...
about 30 minutes after eating just a few forkfuls, we realized that we all had a chocolate high. It was jsut like being mildly stoned.

First and only time I have experienced that. Kicking myself for not getting the recipe.

[elleng]

6. WOW!

I've never experienced SUCH!

[dixiegrrrrl]

7. You might if you eat the cake.

Sounds like a recipe to remember for a long long time.

[elleng]

8. Yes, it does!