Doris Porter of Baltimore was looking for a recipe for what she called "Wacky Cake." It was in a cookbook that was compiled in the 1950s by her daughter's fourth-grade class and, sadly, she has lost it. She said while she has come across other recipes for the cake over the years, none of them produced the chocolate sauce in the bottom of the pan after baking that made this cake so particularly delicious.
Margie LaDue of Mud Butte, S.D., sent in a recipe that her grandmother had passed down to her mother and the family always enjoyed. They called it Chocolate Lush. She says she still makes the cake and that it always reminds her of her mom and grandma and what good cooks they were.
Even though it has a different name, this recipe seems to produce a cake that sounds very much like what Porter was searching for. The finished product is a bit of a chocolate mess. You may think you have done something wrong when you take it out of the oven and invert it. But not to worry; while this gooey mess may not be very pretty to look at, it is a chocolate lover's dream come true. This one is best served while still warm, with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.
RECIPE REQUESTS
Dianne Pearson of Columbia is looking for a recipe for meat lasagna made with no-boil noodles.
Linda Niederoest of Yardville, N.J., is looking for a recipe for Polish bean-and-cabbage soup.
If you are looking for a hard-to-find recipe or can answer a request, write to Julie Rothman, Recipe Finder, The Sun, 501 N. Calvert St., Baltimore 21278, or e-mail recipefinder@baltsun.com. If you send more than one recipe, put each on a separate piece of paper or attachment with your name, address and daytime phone number. Names and addresses must accompany recipes to be published. Letters may be edited for clarity.
The nutritional analyses accompanying recipes in today's Taste section were calculated by registered dietitian Jodie Shield, except where noted.
Chocolate Lush ('Wacky Cake')
Serves 8
1 cup flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (divided use)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
one 1-ounce square baking chocolate, melted
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons cocoa
1 3/4 cups boiling water
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder and salt, then add melted chocolate and melted butter, milk and vanilla. Mix to combine. Spread in a greased 9-inch cake pan.
Mix walnuts, remaining 3/4 cup sugar, brown sugar and cocoa. Sprinkle over the batter that is already in the pan. Then pour the boiling water slowly over all. Bake for 1 hour, putting a cookie sheet on the lower rack to catch any spilled batter. Cool for 15 minutes, loosen around edges with a sharp knife and then invert onto a rimmed serving plate.
Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.
Per serving: 426 calories, 7 grams protein, 14 grams fat, 4 grams saturated fat, 74 grams carbohydrate, 3 grams fiber, 9 milligrams cholesterol, 250 milligrams sodium