http://teriskitchen.comFunny Cake (Chocolate Pie)
http://teriskitchen.com/padutch/funny-a.htmlMakes one 9-inch pie
This Pennsylvania Dutch pie recipe is so good and goes way back to my childhood. I guess it is called a 'funny' cake because it is really an upside down one-layer cake in a pie crust. Figure that one out. Actually, most of the sauce, which is poured on top of the batter before baking, ends up on the bottom of the pie after baking, and the top is similar to a light sponge cake. Everyone in my family preferred the fudge sauce bottom, but I have included a butterscotch variation. In my grandparents' day, they often ate funny cake as part of a hearty breakfast, but I prefer to serve it as a dessert or sweet treat.
Ingredients
- One 9-inch pie crust, store-bought or homemade (see recipe on the full page view linked above)
- 1-1/4 cups cake flour, sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup shortening, preferably non-hydrogenated
- 1/2 cup milk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 large egg, unbeaten, room temperature
Preheat oven to 350° F. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Cut in the shortening. Add the milk and vanilla. Beat for 2 minutes with electric mixer. Add the egg and beat 1 minute more. Pour batter into pie crust. Pour prepared chocolate or butterscotch sauce (see recipes below) over batter. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until top springs back to touch. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream, if desired. Leftovers can be refrigerated, then brought to room temperature before serving.
Fudge Sauce
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Place butter, sugar and melted chocolate in small saucepan. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring often. Add water and bring back to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes and continue stirring. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour hot sauce as evenly as possible over cake batter. (Do not spread the sauce or it might cool and thicken before you get it into the oven.) Bake as directed above.
Butterscotch Sauce
Use the same ingredients and directions as in the fudge sauce except to substitute brown sugar for granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons corn syrup for the chocolate.