McCall's Cooking Scool recipe

[chubbyalaskagriz]

Nearly 30 years ago as a high schooler I worked in the kitchen of a tiny l'il Inn that had a Sunday Brunch. The owner's wife baked fabulous cakes and pies for the dessert table each week and her chocolate layer cake would melt in your mouth!

She used the recipe from a leaflet-page taped to the kitchen wall near the flour and sugar bins that had a trio of holes punched in the left margin and read: "McCall's Cooking School" across the bottom of the page, so I presume it came from a book/3-ring-binder by that name, or was at least put out by that once-popular ladies magazine.

I recall the recipe called for cocoa whisked into a pan of boiling water- and whole butter. I've googled and have found a couple recipes, but they're not the same- as one contains cinnamon, and a couple others call for cream, and this one did not.

By chance, would anyone have this book- or does the recipe ring a bell w/ anyone?

[Mama Mangia]

Kev - I don't know if this will help -

Butter, for coating cake pans
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups cake flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa, preferably Dutch process
1 teaspoon instant coffee
3/4 cup boiling water
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large egg whites, at room temperature (you may want to save yolks to use in the frosting)
14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, but not hot
Soft and Creamy Double Chocolate Frosting:
1/2 cup egg substitute, or 4 egg yolks (left over from cake), with enough milk added to equal 1/2 cup, plus additional milk, if necessary
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon instant coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
3 cups confectioners' sugar (sifted if it contains hard lumps)
4 teaspoons light corn syrup

Directions
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease the cake pans with butter and dust with flour.
Whisk sugar, flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl; set aside.
Place cocoa and coffee in a medium bowl. Whisk in 3/4 cup boiling water to form a smooth paste. Stir in sour cream and vanilla and set aside.
With a hand mixer in a medium bowl, beat egg whites to soft peaks. Without cleaning beaters, mix melted butter into dry ingredients until mixture is smooth. Immediately add cocoa mixture, and beat until batter is smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully fold egg whites into batter until just incorporated.
Divide batter evenly between pans and bake until a skewer inserted into center comes out with wet crumbs, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cakes sit in pans to cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Invert each cake onto a plate, then onto a cooling rack and split each cake to make 4 layers. Frost with Chocolate Frosting and serve.
Soft and Creamy Double Chocolate Frosting:
Mix egg substitute or yolks, cocoa, coffee, vanilla, and salt in a small bowl with a whisk.
Beat butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add melted chocolate and cocoa mixture; continue to beat until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating slowly at first, until sugar has been incorporated into mixture, then at medium speed until frosting is light and fluffy. Add corn syrup, and beat until frosting is smooth and glossy. If frosting is still stiff, add droplets of milk until it is of spreading consistency. (Frosting can be refrigerated for up to 1 week and microwaved for a few seconds until just spreadable).

~~~~~~~~~~~

2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
Raspberry Filling*
Dark Chocolate Frosting*
Garnish: fresh raspberries

Raspberry Filling*
1 cup fresh raspberries
Milk
1/2 cup butter, softened
5 cups sifted powdered sugar


Preparation
Process raspberries in a food processor until smooth, stopping once to scrape down sides. Pour puree through a fine wire-mesh strainer, pressing with the back of a spoon; discard seeds. Add enough milk to equal 1/2 cup.
Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar alternately with raspberry mixture, beginning and ending with powdered sugar. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition.

Yield Makes 2 2/3 cups


Dark Chocolate Pudding*
6 tablespoons butter, softened
2 2/3 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa
6 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Preparation
Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Combine powdered sugar and cocoa; gradually add to butter alternately with milk and vanilla, beginning and ending with powdered sugar mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition.
Tip: To prevent a white dusting on your chocolate cake layers, dust cakepans with cocoa instead of flour.


Yield Makes 2 1/4 cups
(I robbed this recipe from someone - only partial instructions - sorry)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dry Ingredients:
1 and 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa
2 cups brown sugar
1 and 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 and 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

Wet Ingredients:
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla essence
1 cup milk
1 cup boiling water (or coffee)

Method:
1. Add all dry ingredients together and mix well
2. Add eggs, milk, and vanilla and mix well.
3. Add boiling water/coffee at the end and mix well. (Batter will be a bit runny).
4. Pour into a greased 8-inch tin and bake for approx. 50 - 60 minutes at 300 F. (We used a Bundt cake pan when we made this cake and it worked very well).


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2-1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup shortening
1-1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup sour milk
1/2 cup cocoa
1/3 cup hot water

Sift flour once, then measure and mix with baking soda, baking powder and salt. Sift again.

Cream shortening; add sugar gradually, beating thoroughly after each addition.

Add vanilla then well beaten eggs. Beat until fluffy.

Beat in flour mixture alternately with sour milk.

Mix cocoa and hot water to form a smooth paste. Beat into batter.

Pour into 3 small (8") or 2 large (9") prepared layer pans.

Bake in moderate oven (350) for 30-35 minutes. Cool and spread with any chocolate icing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
1 cup sifted cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon plus 3/4 teaspoon cocoa
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons margarine, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 teaspoons cocoa
1 cup boiling water
Whipped cream

Sift together 3/4 cup sugar, cake flour, baking powder, salt, and 1 tablespoon plus 3/4 teaspoon cocoa in a large bowl. Add milk, melted margarine, and vanilla to dry ingredients, beating at medium speed of an electric mixer until mixture is smooth. Stir in chopped nuts. Pour batter into a well-greased 9-inch square baking pan.

Combine remaining 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar, 1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 teaspoons cocoa, and boiling water in a medium bowl, stirring well. Pour sugar mixture evenly over cake batter. Bake at 350F for 40 minutes. Serve cake warm with a dollop of whipped cream.




let me know how close I am - I've got more

[chubbyalaskagriz]

They all sound fantastic, mama! I think the second one just may be close to the recipe I recall... Hmmm... I'll give it a try and let you know- thanks dear!

[Mama Mangia]

I know I have the exact recipe - I have most of the McCall's recipes - it's just trying to find it in my massive collection. But I'll dig.

[jglass]

Could this be the book Kev?

Amazon.com: McCall's Cookbook (Cook Book): The Absolutely Complete Step-By-Step Cooking and Serving Guide: Food Editors of McCall's: Books

[jglass]

Perfect Chocolate Cake/Mccalls
Yield: 10 Servings Preparation Time:

Cake: Frosting:
1 Cup Unsifted unsweetened cocoa 6 Oz Semisweet chocolate pieces
2 Cup water, Boiling 1/2 Cup Light cream
2 3/4 Cup Sifted all purpose flour 1 Cup Butter (or regular margine)
2 Tsp Baking soda 2 1/2 Cup Unsifted confectioners'
1/2 Tsp Salt -sugar
1/2 Tsp Baking powder Filling:
1 Cup Butter (or margarine) 1 Cup Heavy cream, chilled
-softened 1/4 Cup Unsifted confectioners'
2 1/2 Cup Sugar -sugar
4 Eggs 1 Tsp Vanilla extract
1 1/2 Tsp Vanilla
Recipe by: MAUREEN ANTHONY (BJHK38A)
1.In medium bowl, combine cocoa with boiling water, mixing
with wire whisk until smooth. Cool completely. Sift flour
with soda, salt and baking powder. Preheat oven to 350F.
Grease well and lightly flour three 9 by 1 1/2 inch
layer-cake pans.
2. In large bowl of electric mixer, at high speed, beat
butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla, scraping bowl
occasionally until light-about 5 mins. At low speed, beat
in flour mixture (in fourths), alternately with cocoa
mixture (in thirds), beginning.and ending with flour
mixture. Do not overbeat. Divide evenly into pans;smooth
top. Bake 25 to 30 mins., or until surface springs back
when gently pressed with fingertip.
3. Cool in pans 10 mins. Carefully loosen sides with
spatula; 4. Remove from pans; cool on racks. Frosting:In
medium saucepan, combine chocolate pieces,cream,
butter;stir over medium heat until smooth. Remove from
heat. With whisk, blend in 2 1/2 cups confectioners'
sugar. In bowl set over ice(I use ice cubes) beat until it
holds shape.
Filling: whip cream with sugar and vanilla;refrigerate.
To assemble cake: On plate place a layer, top side
down;spread with half of cream. Place second layer, top
side down;spread with rest of cream. Place third layer,
top side up.
To frost: With spatula, frost sides first,covering whipped
cream;use rest of frosting on top, swirling decoratively.
Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. To cut, use a
thin-edged sharp knife;slice with a sawing motion.
And forget the swirls. I think it looks gourmet
just to spread the frosting. It dries really dark and
looks cool. Somethimes I just drag a sharp knife across
the top in lines and sometimes I leave it as it is.
From McCall's Cooking School.JM

[jglass]

McCalls Best Devil's Food Cake
3 squares unsweetened chocolate......

2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour.......

2 teaspoons baking soda......

1/2 teaspoon salt......

1/2 half cup soft butter or margarine......

2 1/2 cups light brown sugar......

3 eggs......

2 teaspoons vanilla extract......

1/2 cup sour milk or buttermilk......

1 cup boiling water.......

1. Melt chocolate over hot, not boiling water. Let cool.......

2. Preheat oven to 350. Grease well and flour two 9" cake pans; or three 8" pans......

3. Sift flour with soda and salt; set aside......

4. In large bowl beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla with an electric beater until light and fluffy--about 5 minutes. Scrape sides of bowl occasionally......

5. At low speed, beat in chocolate......

6. Beat in flour mixture (in fourths), alternately with milk (in thirds), beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat just until smooth--about 1 minute......

7. Beat in water just until mixture is smooth. Batter will be thin......

8. Pour in pans and bake 30 to 35 minutes or until surface springs back when gently pressed......

[jglass]

I think these are a couple of them. From what I have read there were three of them published total.

Amazon.com: McCall's Cooking School Cookbook: Mary Eckley, Mary Norton: Books
Amazon.com: McCall's COOKING SCHOOL (STEP-BY-STEP DIRECTIONS FOR MISTAKE-PROOF RECIPIES, VOLUME 2): Books
Amazon.com: McCall's Cooking School: Step-By-Step Directions for Mistake-Proof Recipes, 3 Volume Set: Marianne Langan, Lucy Wing: Books

You may find this page helpful in your search.
Advertising Cookbooks - McCall's Cookbook Collection

[chubbyalaskagriz]

Thanks for all this helpful info, janie! WOW!