Saturday, June 02, 2007

Fabulous Fifties German Chocolate Cake


He walks through the door of the boxy pale-blue Levitt ranch house at exactly 6:25 p.m. He hangs his Fedora on the hat stand, sheds his gray flannel suit jacket and slips into a soft, tan cardigan sweater.

“Honey, I’m home,” He intones.

She smoothes her auburn hair, straightens her pearl choker, and pushes through the green swing-door from the kitchen into the dining room carrying a cocktail shaker and glass.

She brushes her perfectly-lined crimson lips against his right cheek. “Hello, Sweetheart! How was your day?”

“It was another tough one,” He groans. “Mr. P in Finance is really after me for that quarterly forecast.”

“Well, you just leave that all behind you,” She purrs reassuringly, running her lacquered fingernails through his sandy flat-top. “Here’s your martini, just the way you like it.”

“You’re so good to me. And, I love your classy chassis,” He says, placing a hand firmly on her left hip.

“You just relax, sweetheart,” She says, leading him to his chair at the head of the dining room table. She places a Pat Boone LP on the turntable and adjusts the volume on the hi-fi.

“We’re eating International tonight,” She announces brightly. “I’ve made Beef Stroganoff, Tomato Aspic, Petite Pois and for dessert, German Chocolate Cake!”

“Honey, I don’t know how you manage to put such a fantastic meal on the table every night, what with keeping house, grocery shopping and community activities?”

“I clipped all of the recipes from the food pages in the newspaper,” She replies. “This menu is called Haute Cuisine.”

He spots the majestic three-layer cake on the side board. It is an impressive creation. “German Chocolate Cake? Is that a European recipe?” He asks.

“I’m sure it must be,” She replies. “According to the newspaper, it’s all the rage. It was a snap for me to whip up after my circle meeting this afternoon. I used a bar of that wonderful Baker’s German’s Brand Sweet Chocolate.”




“What a kick!” He smiles.

“It was simple. I used fresh eggs, Crisco and buttermilk for that special tangy flavor. The filling was so easy, too. Would you believe something this elegant was made from coconut, pecans and Evaporated Milk?”

“Honey, you are the most in the kitchen!”



The meal is exceptional. He enjoys two helpings of the Beef Stroganoff. He takes a bite of the velvety cake and relishes the taste of the mellow chocolate, sweet coconut filling and crunchy pecans. All is right with the world. “Oh, Honey, you’ve outdone yourself. This is unreal!”

“Thank you, Sweetheart.” She smiles. “Now, there’s something I want to ask you.”

“Yes, dear?’

“There’s a job available at Gimbels Department Store at the cosmetics counter. It’s only three days a week, but I’d love to get out the house a bit, and with the extra money, we could buy that new Frigidaire for the kitchen.”

He pauses, his cake fork in midair. A flake of coconut drops to the sleeve of his cardigan sweater, the icing leaving a slight stain.

For just a moment, the grinding of His teeth is almost audible and the tips of his ears color ever-so-slightly. Then He smiles.

“Honey, are you trying to rattle my cage? If you went to work, who would make these wonderful dinners?”

She purses her crimson lips and takes a deep breath. She reaches for the cake knife and grips the handle purposefully. The moment seems like an eternity as she considers her next move.

Why ruin a perfectly good meal with a domestic spat? He would never know if She worked outside the home for just a couple of hours each week. And, it would be fun to have a little pin money. All He really cared about was having homemade cake for dessert. Thank heaven for convenience products. He would never be the wiser if she substituted one of those new Betty Crocker Cake Mixes from time-to-time. It would be easy to pull off.

She smiles brilliantly. It is a dazzling, Pepsodent smile.

“Forget I mentioned it, Sweetheart,” She says, slicing the blade sharply through the layers. “Have another piece of German Chocolate Cake.”



On the hi-fi, Pat Boone is crooning his 1957 chart topper “Don’t Forbid Me” …

Inspired by The Old Foodie.

© 2007 T.W. Barritt All Rights Reserved

11 comments:

Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) said...

I'm laughing out loud! And yes, I am old enough to get all of the references.... what a fun post, and a lovely cake!

Stella said...

Your cake rocks!
I agree with Lydia, your post is fun to read;)

Unknown said...

I found your blog a couple of weeks ago. I now look forward to all your posts.

Great post! Very authenic 50s dialogue!

Anonymous said...

heheehe that is an imagination on overdrive :) As a tiki lounge music lover it made me all mellow inside :)

oh and the cake looks good too! :D

Jann said...

very funny.....too much chocolate for you!nice post and great "looken cake!"

Freya said...

I think I want to move in with you!

Anonymous said...

That cake looks fantastic and yes the post was priceless. It's funny how now I try to convince the hubby that maybe I should just stay at home and cook ....at least that's what I wanna do...

Patricia Scarpin said...

That cake is just fabulous, T.W.!!

Anonymous said...

Were you peeking into our screen door when I was growing up?

German Chocolate has always been my favorite! Of course now I can make it with at splash of Kahlua.

T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types said...

Lydia - I just missed the era slightly, but lived vicariously through black and white reruns!

Valentina - Thanks, appreciate that from a great baker like you!

rozzi80 - Thanks for visiting!

Sarina - Let's all have a rum punch in honor of the 50s!

Jann - It was a heavy chocolate weekend!

Freya/Paul - non-stop cake for all at my house!


Veron -- I'd like to stay home and cook, too!

Patricia - Thanks so much!

Sandi -- I love the extra touch of Kahlua - Brilliant!

Susan from Food Blogga said...

Too funny, T.W.! I'll think I'll take two slices of the cake (one for the hubby) but skip the Pat Boone. 'Course I used to listen to his daughter. Remember "You Light Up My Life"? Thanks for the enjoyable post!