THE GREAT AMERICAN CAKE | 1, 2, 3, 4

NANA EDIE'S DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE I found the recipe below in the collection of my great-grandmother Edith Reed, who was an accomplished cook. This recipe, all the rage at the turn of the previous century, make the quintessential layer cake - old-fashioned and toothsome. FOR CAKE LAYERS 1/2 cup milk (not nonfat) 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar 4 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces 1 cup water 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups sugar 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla FOR FROSTING 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 cup heavy cream 4 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces 1 teaspoon vanilla

MAKE CAKE LAYERS:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 2 (8- by 2-inch) round cake pans and dust with flour, knocking out excess.

Stir together milk and vinegar and set aside to "sour" (mixture will curdle). Melt chocolate and butter with water in a large metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, whisking until smooth. Cool slightly.

Sift to flour, baking soda, and salt. Beat sugar into chocolate mixture with an electric mixer. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture and beat on low speed just until combined. Add soured milk and beat on high speed 2 minutes.

Divide batter evenly between cake pans. Bake in middle of oven until tops of layers spring back when touched lightly and edges have just started to pull away from sides of pans, about 35 minutes. Cool layers in pans on racks 5 minutes. Run a thin knife around edges of pans, then invert layers onto racks to cool completely.

MAKE FROSTING:
Bring sugar and cream to a boil in a heavy saucepan, stirring constantly, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add chocolate, butter, and vanilla, stirring until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Chill frosting, stirring frequently, until thickened and spreadable.

ASSEMBLE CAKE:
Brush any loose crumbs from layers and put 1 layer upside down on a serving plate. Spread with about 1 cup frosting. Place other layer on top, right side up. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining frosting.

Serves 8.

COOKS' NOTES: The old-fashioned frosting will have a slightly grainy texture, like some types of fudge.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

MAKE TOPPING:
Cut pineapple crosswise into 3/8-inch-thick pieces. Melt butter in skillet. Add brown sugar and simmer over moderate heat, stirring, 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Arrange pineapple on top of sugar mixture in concentric circles, overlapping pieces slightly.

MAKE BATTER:
Sift together flour, cardamom, baking powder, and salt. Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, then gradually beat in granulated sugar. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and rum. Add half of flour mixture and beat on low speed just until blended. Beat in pineapple juice, then add remaining flour mixture, beating just until blended. (Batter may appear slightly curdled.)

Spoon batter over pineapple topping and spread evenly. Bake cake in middle of oven until golden and a tester comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cake stand in skillet 5 minutes. Invert a plate over skillet and invert cake onto plate (keeping plate and skillet firmly pressed together). Replace any pineapple stuck to bottom of skillet. Sprinkle rum over cake and cool on plate on a rack.

Serve cake just warm or at room temperature.

Serves 8.

COOKS' NOTES: Some of the food editors found 3 teaspoons of cardamom to be too much, but others loved the intense flavor.

Cake may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before serving.

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