The Brooklyn Blackout Cake is a true New York icon, with a legendary origin story. Up there with cheesecake and black & white cookies, it’s a renowned Brooklyn dessert, a masterpiece of rich chocolate cake with creamy chocolate buttercream icing, adorned with chocolate cake crumbs. And now, thanks to the Brooklyn Blackout Company, this NYC specialty is shipping straight from the source to your door!
The Brooklyn Blackout Cake was created during World War II, at a time when mandatory blackouts were implemented in the borough to protect the Brooklyn Navy Yard. From 1806 to 1966, the Navy Yard was one of the country’s most important military installations, and during the war it became the world’s busiest shipyard, the birthplace of many battleships and aircraft carriers including the USS Arizona.
During this time, a bakery named Ebinger’s was one of the borough’s most beloved bakery chains, and they invented this cake as a way to honor this monumental war effort. The cake exploded in popularity, but sadly Ebinger’s went out of business in the 1970s and the original recipe was lost to history.
Even though warships are no longer emerging from the Brooklyn Navy Yard, today hundreds of small local businesses are: it’s been transformed into one of the city’s biggest industrial and commercial complexes. The Navy Yard is also the home base of the Brooklyn Blackout Company, which is sailing forth with its version of this legendary cake from the very same spot the cake was originally named after.
This article originally appeared on Goldbelly.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
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Step Aside, Red Velvet Cake. Hello, Oprah’s Favorite Blue Velvet Layer Cake
Cake lovers have likely heard of — and indulged in — red velvet cake, but its cousin, blue velvet cake, is gaining a following of its own. Blue velvet cake is similar to red velvet cake — it’s just a bolder blue version of the famed Southern cocoa cake.
One of the most popular cake flavors, red velvet cake became popular in the 20th century and a blue version soon followed. Bakeries like Carousel Cakes make a beautiful Blue Velvet Layer Cake (and a classic Oprah’s Favorite Red Velvet Cake) and cool Blue Velvet Cupcakes.
Ranging from sky blue to teal to navy, blue velvet cake is a beautiful cake that is as delicious as its pretty color. But what is blue velvet cake made of? What does it taste like and why is it blue? Grab a fork. We’re taking a slice out of everything you need to know about blue velvet cake.
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Blue velvet cake is made of flour, sugar, eggs, white vinegar and buttermilk, non-Dutch processed cocoa powder and, oftentimes, vanilla. Some recipes also call for almond flavoring too.
Unlike red velvet cake, which gets its bright red color from a chemical reaction between the acidic vinegar and red compounds called anthocyanins in the cocoa powder, blue velvet cake gets its blue hue from blue and violet food coloring.
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Blue velvet cake is a type of chocolate cake. It’s made with a hint of unsweetened cocoa giving it a mild chocolate taste and vinegar and buttermilk, which give it a slightly tangy taste. It’s often frosted with cream cheese frosting, enhancing the tanginess, or buttercream. Some recipes call for almond in the cake batter, which can also be detected in the taste.
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Blue velvet cake tastes like a very mild chocolate cake. It has a soft, moist crumb. Some bakers simply make vanilla cake and tint it blue, but true blue velvet cake follows the red velvet cake recipe and only deviates in cake color.
The “velvet” in its name refers to the smooth texture that is created thanks to ingredients like cocoa powder, buttermilk, and vinegar, making this a delicious cake with a moist, not overly sweet taste.
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The difference between red velvet cake and blue velvet cake is simple: the color. The ingredients are usually identical but there are variations with recipes. What makes red velvet and blue velvet cakes unique, aside from their bright colors, is the addition of cocoa powder, buttermilk, and white vinegar.
Some recipes for blue velvet cake also call for almond. Variations of velvet cake include pink velvet cake with pink-tinted vanilla cake and purple velvet cake with a classic cocoa-infused velvet cake recipe and lavender colored cake.
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Your blue velvet cake is green because of the interaction of yellow egg yolks and blue food coloring (yellow and blue, when mixed, creates a green color). To correct this, simply add a few drops of violet food coloring to the batter.
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Carousel Cakes’ take on blue velvet cake is a bright blue-tinted vanilla cake generously frosted with cream cheese frosting. This 7-in. Oprah’s Favorite Blue Velvet Layer Cake is kosher certified and comes with cute blue crumbs on the side. One bite and you’ll see why Nanuet, New York’s Carousel Cakes has been the bakery to the stars since 1965 and one of Oprah’s favorites.
This article originally appeared on Goldbelly.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org
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