Chocolate Icing for AZ Centennial Cake

Leslie Christiansen demonstrated Historymaker Polly Rosenbaum's 100th birthday cake at the AZ History Convention. A great way to remember Polly and celebrate Arizona's Centennial. Attendees were very happy to sample the results.

Zona Lorig and Ruth McLeod presented the Historical League's Centennial book, Arizona Recollections and Reflections. This Legacy Project book celebrates the Historymakers Program and honors those who have helped to grow this state. Mary Parker was chair for the session.

Happy Birthday Arizona.

Chocolate Icing from page 137 Tastes & Treasures

Ingredients for icing:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
6 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1 (1-pound) package confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions for icing:
Combine the butter, milk and baking cocoa in a saucepan 5 minutes before the cake tests done and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Let it simmer for about 30 seconds so the chocolate can bloom and release it's yummy goodness. Pour over the confectioners’ sugar in a heatproof bowl and whisk until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and pecans. Pour icing over warm cake and spread. Resist the urge to lick the spatula until you are done!

AKA Polly's 100th Birthday Cake!

Serves 12 to 16

History Convention and Polly Rosenbaum's 100 Birthday Cake

People attending the History Convention love history but they also love chocolate cake. Our session ended with satisfied attendees as they licked their lips over this sweet treat. Leslie Christiansen demonstrated how to make Polly Rosenbaum's 100th Birthday Chocolate Cake from Tastes & Treasures cookbook. She gave several helpful hints to make baking easier and better tasting. Leslie also reminded us that family cultures and traditions often evolve around baking and cooking.

Polly’s 100th Birthday Chocolate Cake from page 136 Tastes & Treasures cookbook




































Ingredients for cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1/2 stick (1 stick) butter
1/3 cup shortening
1/4 (heaping) baking cocoa
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Icing (page 137)

Directions for cake:
Preheat the over to 375 degrees. Mix the flour and sugar in a heatproof bowl. Combine the water, butter, shortening and baking cocoa in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Pour the hot chocolate mixture over the flour mixture gradually, stirring constantly until smooth.

Mix the buttermilk and baking soda in a measuring cup until blended. Add the buttermilk mixture, eggs and vanilla to the chocolate mixture and mix well

Pour the batter into a greased and floured 9 X 13-inch cake pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Spread the hot icing over the top of the hot cake. Let stand until set.

400 lb birthday cake from Fry's at AZ Centennial

Tastes and Treasures, A Storytelling Cookbook of Historic Arizona, features the chocolate cake served at Historymaker Polly Rosenbaum's 100th birthday celebration at the AHS Museum. Polly would have loved the Centennial event at the Capitol with all it's history. The recipe, on page 136, serves about 15 and it is chocolate decadence.

The Historical League had a booth at the Centennial celebration selling Tastes and Treasures cookbook, Arizona Recollections and Reflections, aprons and Centennial hats. It was a great opportunity to talk to those attending about the AHS Museum at Papago Park as we handed out maps and brochures.

Fry's donated the 500 cupcakes but the culinary arts students at Vista Grande actually made this 400 lb wonder.

The students prepared a 48 square foot cake in the shape of the state of Arizona. It was made out of about 40 18 by 12 inch cakes. They were all put together in a rectangle and then cut into the shape of Arizona. A regular classic yellow cake recipe and topped with decorative white frosting, it was painted to look like the flag of Arizona and topped off with an actual copper star in the middle. At lunchtime on the Tuesday, Feb 14 at the Capitol Celebration, it was served to the crowds attending. All of those students got their own little piece of history that day.

White Chocolate Mousse

Celebrating a 22nd birthday should be special. Nothing like San Francisco, lunch at McCormick & Kuletos and White Chocolate Mousse for my niece, Jamie. (She had help eating it).





My sister, Judy, and Jamie came for a non-stop 3 day visit. Our tour guide, my daughter Candice, arranged a bicycle ride, Bogle Vineyard picnic, visits to the Cable Car Museum, an Irish Pub, Chinatown, Little Italy, Alcatraz at night, Haight Ashbury and lots of shopping.

The Historical League served Historymaker Polly Rosenbaum chocolate cake for her 100th birthday. Recipe on page 136 of Tastes & Treasures. I think she would have approved of White Chocolate Mousse for another birthday.

White Chocolate Mousse
It's such a simple dish to make, and it's melt-in-your-mouth light. You could use regular chocolate if you prefer.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup water
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 tsp vanilla

Preparation:

Heat water in saucepan, with sugar, until sugar is dissolved. Add chocolate chips and melt until smooth. Set saucepan in cold water to cool mixture. Place in the fridge until thoroughly chilled. Whisk smooth. Beat cream and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Fold into cold chocolate mixture. Pour into pre-made dark chocolate serving cups or individual serving dishes and enjoy.
Note: Add fresh fruit and a drizzle of juice for added presentation.

Red Velvet Cake

We spent the evening in a limo with our son, daughter in law and daughter sipping wine and enjoying the Christmas lights at Phalen Park in St Paul. This was a birthday gift to my husband and it was a lovely idea. Dinner at Salute followed with a Red Velvet birthday cake topped with sparkler. This cake is so moist and rich with cream cheese frosting. Yummm.

But Polly Rosenbaum's 100th Birthday Chocolate Cake is still my favorite on page 136 in Tastes & Treasures Cookbook.

Red Velvet Cake (Interesting history of this cake at the end of the recipe)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 1/2 oz red food coloring
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon soda
1 tablespoons vinegar

Directions:

Cream shortening; beat in sugar gradually. Add eggs, one at a time; beat well after each addition. Make paste of cocoa and food coloring; add to creamed mixture. Add salt, flour and vanilla alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition. Sprinkle soda over vinegar; pour vinegar over batter. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Bake in 3 8-inch pans or 2 9-inch pans for 30 minutes at 350°.

History
Although the details are sketchy at best, red velvet cake is not as Southern as many like to think. The story, which began circulating some time in the 1940s, claimed that Manhattan's elegant Waldorf-Astoria granted a diner's request for the recipe, then a short time later sent her a bill in the amount of $100. The angry woman, apparently with revenge in mind, then began circulating the recipe along with the story. Another "baked" legend with the same storyline is the $250 Chocolate Chip Cookie, also known as the Neiman-Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe.