About a decade ago, I was asked to bring a birthday cake to my dear (and now sadly departed) friend Suzanne Wasserman's 50th birthday party at the Bridge Cafe. So I baked a nine-inch red velvet layer cake. Imagine my dismay when I arrived at the party and realized that this single cake would need to feed about 40 guests. (I had another frosted cake at home -- I was selling them at the time and always made two -- but couldn't convince my teenage son to bring it to the restaurant.) Throughout the dinner I fretted about the scarcity of dessert but by some absolute miracle the staff managed to carve out enough slices of decent size.
Not that I should have substituted this large flat cake (for Suzanne and her husband David loved red velvet), but I would have had a much more relaxed dinner.
This vintage recipe is from an Amish collection I purchased years ago. It's baked in an 11 x 17 inch jelly roll pan and, when baked and frosted, it's just 1/2 inch tall, hence its name. Both the cake and its frosting couldn't be easier to make and will certainly feed a large crowd.
Upon hearing the name "flat cake," the DH said I should pair it with #FlatLillian, an initiative at Henry Street Settlement, to spread the word and work of it's founder Lillian Wald by photographing her against all sorts of backdrops. Suzanne, a filmmaker and historian, studied the Lower East Side and was one of Lillian's biggest fans.
#Flat Lillian with the frosted chocolate flat cake.
This is a very, very simple cake to make done on the stovetop and in a bowl. No heavy machinery needed. Melt the butter, water, and cocoa in a saucepan.
Pour the mixture into a bowl and add in the dry ingredients. Stir or whisk to combine.
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Add in the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and baking soda, whisking them together them first.
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Pour the cake into a greased jelly roll pan. I sprayed the pan with Pam, then laid a sheet of parchment over to ensure an easy release.
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The unfrosted cake.
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While the cake is in the oven, begin the frosting. Boil butter, cocoa and buttermilk, then add in confectioner's sugar, nuts, vanilla and salt.
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Frost the cake while it's still warm. You'll need an offset spatula or butter knife to spread the frosting over the cake.
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Henry Street's Executive Director David Garza, a real #FlatLillian champion, eating the cake (even though he's not supposed to, so don't tell anyone).
Production notes: I followed the recipe exactly, except I substituted butter for the Crisco. The Amish, rather thrifty folk, probably wanted to save some money. I wasn't sure if the cake should be warm, or just the frosting, so I made sure both were warm when I frosted it. You'd be fine with a cool cake and warm frosting. If you don't have buttermilk, you can make your own by mixing some white vinegar in regular milk and having it stand for a few minutes. The amount of salt in the frosting should be a pinch -- it won't taste salty, but will add a depth of flavor. Chop the nuts on the finer side.