Milk Chocolate Cake with Miracle Frosting

The Blue Elephant had a Birthday to celebrate recently! What better way to celebrate than with a cake? Even better a cake made from scratch from the great book of Marjorie Standish. It was a new recipe for me. A milk chocolate cake with miracle frosting. Sounds delicious, how could you go wrong with a name like that? 

The cake was super easy. Use the creaming method, with your sugar and fats then add sifted dry ingredients then combine all together alternately with melted chocolate. The batter was very light and airy and I could tell just from its texture that when it came out of the oven it was going to be moist and delicious. 

In my experience sometimes cake made from scratch can come out dry and crumbly. This was not the case with this recipe. It was in fact very moist. One modification I would make to the recipe if I were to make it again were to be to add more chocolate. However for the purposes of this project, I followed the recipe to a T and made it exactly the way Marjorie described. It still tasted delicious but could have used a bit more chocolate, and I think all you chocolate lovers out there would agree! 

The frosting was an interesting adventure. All of the ingredients get mixed together and then they sit for at least a half an hour. This allows the sugar time to dissolve in the liquid. After a half an hour the mixture goes on top of a double boiler and is brought to a boiling point. Following this, it is mixed either with an egg beater or by hand, your choice! 

When the frosting holds peaks you know you're done beating. If you time it correctly your cake will be cooling on the counter while you're mixing the frosting and then when you're done mixing you can move right into frosting your cake. 

My frosting never quite held stiff peaks and if I kept beating my fear was that it would have separated. I'm not quite sure why it happened this way but it still tasted fine and I was able to get it to a spreadable consistency. 

So I frosted my cake and put some candles in it for the Birthday boy and it was enjoyed by many! If you're looking for a yummy chocolate cake recipe to try then flip to this one. It's easy and delicious, more than likely you'll have all the ingredients in your cupboard. Give the frosting a whirl too, or try one of the other frostings listed in the book. 

We're nearing the end of Cooking Down East... lots more to write about. Stay tuned! 

Blue Elephant Cafe 

12 Pepperell Square 

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents

https://twitter.com/#!/BlueElephant3

A Note From the Kitchen

Good morning some exciting news from the home-front! We are down to 59 recipes in our journey of cooking our way through Cooking Down East by Marjorie Standish. It's been a long road and I've learned a lot about Maine cooking. Many good recipes have come from the book and many recipes will stay behind. But overall it has been a very successful project.

I am making it a goal to finish as soon as possible, meaning by the summertime as the Blue Elephant has a busy catering season ahead. So check in and see what recipes are ahead, see photos and leave comments!

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square 

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents

https://twitter.com/#!/BlueElephant3

Hearty Casserole

I have never seen anything so........ interesting. Please, I'm looking for some input on this one. What do you think? 

Step 1: Make patties out of hamburg and fry in melted fat on high heat 

Step 2: Place patties in a greased casserole dish

Step 3: Layer cut celery, potatoes and carrots on top of the beef patties

Step 4: Add flour and water to remaining fat to create a white gravy. Pour over the casserole and bake for an hour and a half. 

Serve and enjoy. 

The recipe screams convenience and ease to me, a sign of its time. I'm interested to see the popularity of this dish. Come in and give it a try and let me know what you think. Or if you have a story about this one please write to me and tell me! I'm anxious to know your thoughts! 

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents

https://twitter.com/#!/BlueElephant3

Lemon Bread

When I chose this recipe I was thinking I was being really efficient because we had all of the ingredients, it was quick and easy and not to mention it sounded delicious! So I get through all of the steps and while it's in the oven I'm reading about the next step, the topping, where as soon as the bread comes out of the oven you pour the topping over the bread and allow it cool.

Then.... let it set "for a day or so." I was shocked! I had missed this and was completely surprised! Lemon Bread was supposed to be my recipe for Monday, however because of this last step it was going to have to be my recipe for Tuesday. I quickly pulled together a Lobster Casserole (which you can read about in my previous post), for Mondays recipe and then finished the Lemon Bread.

As it turns out allowing the bread to rest for a day with the lemon/sugar topping makes this bread AMAZING! When I sliced into it on Tuesday morning, the aroma was wonderful and when I took a little nibble the flavor was even better! I would almost compare it to that of a pound cake, though it would most definitely have less calories because it does not have as much butter as a pound cake.

We still have Lemon Bread and it is still delicious so come on in to the Blue Elephant and grab a slice to have with your lunch or perhaps with just a cup of coffee or tea! You will certainly not be disappointed!

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents

https://twitter.com/#!/BlueElephant3

Lobster Casserole

"Watching the popularity of a recipe grow is interesting pasttime. I remember when my Farmington roommate used this recipe for Maine lobster casserole for the very first time. She served it to the directors of the Central Maine Power Company for a luncheon at the annual meeting a long, long time ago. Since then the popularity of the casserole has grown and grown. After all, when you have a group of men telling about the goodness of a casserole, you can be certain it is. "

                                                                                                                             Marjorie Standish

Don't you just love her little anecdotes?! They are so cute and fun to read. Maybe you even have a history with this recipe? Growing up we always cooked and ate lobster one way. In the shell. It has been fun for me to experiment with different recipes, especially classic Maine recipes. Are there any favorites out there? Or are you a traditionalist and prefer lobster steamed in the shell with butter? 

If you wanted to try something new and different this casserole was not a difficult one to make in the least and I can see why it would have been a popular recipe. It simply contains cooked lobster meat, bread, seasonings and milk. It comes out of the oven bubbling and golden brown. We still have some left and are serving it here at the cafe so come in and give it a try. 

Blue Elephant Cafe 

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents

https://twitter.com/#!/BlueElephant3

Golden Puffs

Another delicious recipe created by Marjorie Standish. This one is definitely a keeper! Basically a little cinnamon doughnut rolled in granulated sugar, the perfect little treat for after lunch or perhaps with a cup of coffee or tea.

Not difficult to make at all either. Simply measure and sift together dry ingredients and add wet ingredients. Drop by the spoonful into hot fat then coat in sugar. When done you have one of the most tasty treats to come out of Cooking Down East!

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square 

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents

https://twitter.com/#!/BlueElephant3

Scallop Saute Montauk

You know sometimes when you get a recipe and you're reading through it or making it and there are like one or two steps and it comes together so quickly that you're like, "Wait! I'm done already? How'd that happen?" 

Well that's what this recipe is like. Simply coat the scallops in a flour mixture and sear until golden brown in some butter. Next make a lemon butter sauce. It literally takes minutes to make and tastes absolutely divine. 

We are serving this dish with a side of fresh greens and balsamic vinaigrette and we have a few portions left. Come on in and give them a try! 

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square 

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents

https://twitter.com/#!/BlueElephant3