Pistachio Watergate Cake with Cover Up Frosting

These days, what's happening in Washington, D.C., makes Watergate seem like child's play, but at the time, it was THE BIGGEST SCANDAL EVER, commanding the attention of everyone -- even, apparently, bakers. And so, in the 1970s, just around the time that Jello introduced its new pistachio pudding mix, the Watergate Cake was born. It is full of nuts, and features cover-up frosting.  And therein lies the albeit random connection to the (now old-school) burglary and cover up that captured the nation. (I actually attended one day of the Watergate hearings in 1973 with two high school friends while on a road trip. I recall we just waltzed in to see John Dean testify -- it was that easy!)

This cake screams the 1970s in other ways, too. Check out the processed food ingredients required. It was no easy feat finding Jello pistachio pudding (thanks, Target in Brooklyn) and a box of Dream Whip (thanks, Walmart in Athens, Georgia).

Despite the ingredients, this cake is DELICIOUS!!  I could not stop eating it. Did I mention that it's a snap to make?  Once you locate the ingredients, that is.

First, the essential nuts. I used walnuts, but pecans would also be lovely.

Just dump all the ingredients in a mixing bowl, after beating the eggs separately, and combine.

The batter will look like this.

Spoon it into a well-greased bundt pan.

Bake until the edges of the cake just being to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Let it cool in the pan a bit, and turn it out onto a rack.

Start the cover up frosting. I mixed all ingredients together first, then added the sour cream.

Make sure the cake is cool before frosting. I had tons left over, btw.

The recipe I followed You'll notice there are no real instructions, but I was able to figure it out by Googling a bunch of other similar recipes. (Ruth C. Scott, whose name appears on this card, embellished the standard recipe by the addition of flavorings and sour cream in the frosting.) Basically, I followed the recipe on the cake mix box, adding the beaten eggs, and flavorings last.  You really can't mess this up.
If you want to make this cake without processed ingredients, please see the wonderful book Vintage Cakes by Julie Richardson, who features a from scratch version of Watergate Cake with Impeachment Frosting.

Peppermint Patty Flourless Chocolate Cake

Breaking (sort of) from my tradition (and mission) to bake only from vintage recipe cards and original source cookbooks, I bring you this impressive and delicious cake from my Christmas gift (thanks, Alyssa!), a wonderful new book called Vintage Cakes by Julie Richardson.

I made it at the request of my children for our family Christmas dinner, and I'm glad I did; it was a huge hit. And looked better than my usual "homemade" looking confections. (It does taste like a peppermint patty, btw, and I should know, having eating a two-pound bag of them during a recent visit with my mother.)

It's not super easy to make, but certainly worth the effort.  Basically, it's a flourless chocolate cake topped by a layer of peppermint flavored white chocolate ganache and then a bittersweet chocolate ganache.
Unlike many other recipes in the book, it's not actually a reformulated vintage recipe, but the author's ode to the popularity of peppermint flavored cakes in general, which gained popularity in the 1940s and 50s.

I'm paraphrasing the recipe below, but I do encourage you to buy this fabulous cookbook.

The cake must be prepared the day before you plan to serve it.

Cake
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 stick unsalted butter, cubed
1 tbls. vanilla extract
6 eggs, separated, at room temperature
1/2 c. plus 2 tbls. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt

Preheat the oven to 350.
Prepare a 9 inch springform pan by lining the bottom with a parchment paper circle.  Do not grease.

Melt butter and chocolate in a bowl over simmering water, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks on low speed and slowly add 1/2 c. sugar.  Turn the speed to high and beat until thick and fluffy, about six minutes. Stir in the cooled chocolate mixture.
In another bowl, whisk the egg whites and salt until frothy, then slowly add the remaining 2 tbls. sugar, whipping until the whites hold medium soft peaks.
Carefully fold the whites into the chocolate batter.
Pour into the prepared pan, and place in the middle of the oven.
Bake about 45 minutes until the top is cracked, loses its shine and is firm to the touch.  The center can still be wiggly.

Filling
8 oz. real white chocolate, finely chopped
2/3 c. heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. peppermint oil or 1 tbls. peppermint extract

Place the chocolate in a small bowl.  Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it begins to simmer, but not boil.  Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and cover with a lid for five minutes.  Whisk in the vanilla and peppermint.

With the cake still in the pan, pour the white chocolate mixture on top.  The cake should have a depression in  its center, and the white chocolate should fill it.  Place it in the refrigerator overnight, covered with plastic wrap.

Run a knife around the edge and remove the sides of the pan.

Chocolate ganache
1/2 c. heavy cream
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

Place chocolate in a small bowl. Heat cream in a small saucepan until it begins to simmer. Pour over chocolate and cover with a lid for five minutes.  When it's still warm, pour over the white filling.

Top photo, courtesy of my wonderful and talented brother-in-law Bob LaRosa.