Thursday, April 23, 2015

James Patterson Makes Dessert



We're taking a break from Crafty Thursdays for a little celebration and dessert in honor of Mystery Writers of America's 70th Anniversary and the publication of it's new cookbook, Mystery Writers of America Cookbook

On Tuesday we brought you Laura Lippman's Salmon Ball recipe, on Wednesday we brought you Charlaine Harris' Very Unsophisticated Supper Dip and today, James Patterson is making us dessert - with Grandma's Killer Chocolate Cake. Look for more on MWAs 70th in the coming weeks, but for now, let's dig in to this chocolaty goodness...


JAMES PATTERSON

Grandma’s Killer Chocolate Cake

Here’s one “killer” Alex Cross always loves to catch—Grandma’s Killer Cake! A special family recipe dating from the 1940s, this decadent cake seems to get better with age; it is tastier on day two. And you need to be a good detective around the house after it has been made, sitting there in its glass-domed cake stand, staring back at you with deadly temptation, because a piece seems to mysteriously disappear every time I go into the kitchen. Not to be caught red-handed, so looms the “Killer Cake Killer”! 

YIELD: 1 SINGLE- LAYER 9-BY-12 INCH CAKE OR 1 DOUBLE LAYER 9-INCH CAKE 

CAKE 
2⁄3 cup butter
2 cups granulated sugar 
2 eggs
2 cups flour
11⁄3 cups buttermilk 
11⁄3 teaspoons baking soda dissolved in 2 ⁄ 5 cup hot water 
31⁄2 squares bitter chocolate, melted gently 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

FROSTING 
1⁄2 cup butter
3 squares bitter chocolate
 2 cups granulated sugar
 2⁄3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1 teaspoon almond extract 
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs.  
2. Blend in flour and buttermilk in alternating additions, starting and ending with the flour. Add baking soda mixture, followed by chocolate and vanilla extract.  
3. Pour batter into one 9-by-12-inch pan or two round 9-inch springform pans. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool.  
4. Combine all frosting ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a full boil, and boil for 2 minutes. Let cool. You can put saucepan on ice if necessary to cool quickly.  
5. Remove the cake from the pan, frost, and serve. 
James Patterson has sold 300 million books worldwide, including the Alex Cross, Michael Bennett, Women’s Murder Club, Maximum Ride, and Middle School series. He supports getting kids reading through scholarship, Book Bucks programs, book donations, and his website, readkiddoread.com. He lives in Palm Beach with his wife, Sue, and his son, Jack.


Excerpted from The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook edited by Kate White. Reprinted with permission from Quirk Books.


3 comments:

  1. I have got to get this book. These recipes all sound amazing!!

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  2. Thanks for sharing this yummy recipe with us! I too HAVE to get this recipe book. Now, I've done a lot of baking in my life but I'm stumped with this 2/5 cup of hot water. How do you figure out 2/5 of a cup?

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