Texas 1886 Chocolate Cake

from an unknown recipe source
via Kathy Lindenbaum

makes one 9 by 12-inch glazed cake
serves 12 to 14

~ For the Cake ~
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar (1 cup can be sifted light or dark brown sugar)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 sticks of butter, softened
1/2 cup seedless fruit jam, melted until very loose but not liquid
9 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1/3 to 1/2 cup hot water
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon espresso coffee liquid
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup full-fat buttermilk

~ For the Chocolate Glaze ~
2 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
6 to 8 tablespoons buttermilk
1 stick butter
2 teaspoons vanilla (or 1teaspoon vanilla and 1teaspoon rum)
1tablespoon espresso coffee liquid
pinch of salt

Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 by 12-inch cake pan.

Whisk the flour, salt and baking soda together. Set aside. Beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar in 1/2-cup increments and beat until all is well mixed. Add the eggs and mix thoroughly until well blended. The mixture may look like it's separating for a while, but continued blending will bind it together again. Add in the jam and mix thoroughly.

In a separate bowl, dissolve the cocoa in the hot water and mix thoroughly so that there are no lumps. Add the coffee and vanilla and mix well. Add the cocoa mixture to the butter-egg mixture. Mix thoroughly. Then add the buttennilk, again mixing until all is blended.

Combine the dry flour mixture with the blended wet ingredients to make a batter. Bake in a greased 9x12 pan at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Test with a toothpick and remove when just set or still just slightly undercooked. Cool the cake until just slightly warm.

Chocolate Glaze: Stir all ingredients (except rum and vanilla) together in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add vanilla/rum. You want the frosting to be pourable, but not thin. Add more buttermilk if too thick. Cool slightly, but you want the frosting to be very warm when you pour it over the cake so the cake can soak it up. Pour the glaze onto the cake through a strainer, which makes the frosting shiny and glossy. Let sit in a cool place while the frosting 'sets', cut into 2-inch squares and serve at room temperature.

1886 Cafe and Bakery is at the Driskill Hotel in Austin, Texas and is renowned for this kind of cake, in the style of the Heritage Society of Austin's original recipe.

This cake and frosting are exceptionally rich! A cake cover helps keep the 'glossy sheen' until serving time. You can also add chopped nuts on top of the frosting.

If you want a smaller cake, halve the recipe and use a 9 by 9-inch pan. Adjust cooking time as necessary.