Before getting anywhere near this recipe, I would like to pass on one pro-tip: If your shortening looks kinda like Vaseline and smells like rancid death, THROW IT OUT. This message sponsored by the Jani and Corinne Council for Never Eating Anything Like That Ever Again.

Anyways. This recipe is from the Star Trek Cookbook, which… already, awesome. Supposedly it’s the cake Neelix made several times for Kes’ birthdays… And since Ocampa only live to 9, it better be a pretty good cake if you’re going to serve it to one of them more than once!

That frosting goes on smooooooth!

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 2 cups cake flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 1-ounce squares unsweetened baking chocolate, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Frosting:

• 3 1-ounce squares unsweetened baking chocolate
• 2 3/4 cups powdered sugar
• 7 tablespoons light cream
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line with parchment 2 9″ cake pans. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.

In your mixer’s bowl, combine the shortening and sugar and beat until soft and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.

This sweatshirt has chocolate on it 9/10 of the time. For some reason I tend to bake right after doing laundry…

Add the melted chocolate and blend thoroughly.

Alternate adding the flour in 3 batches and milk in two, so that you add flour both first and last, and beat after each addition.

Beat in the vanilla, then divide evenly into the prepared cake pans and spread.

Bake 30 minutes, or until the cakes spring back when gently pressed. Let cool completely before frosting.

To make the fudge frosting, first melt the butter and chocolate in a saucepan over low heat. Beat in 2 cups of the powdered sugar, the cream, and the salt, whisking until smooth and creamy.

Cook, still on low and stirring slowly, until the mixture beings to bubble at the edges. This takes a little bit. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla and remaining 3/4 cup of powdered sugar. Beat slowly until smooth, somewhat cooled, and thick enough to spread, then frost.

Pretty pleased to have combined nerdiness and chocolate!

Jimbalian Fudge Cake

From the Star Trek Cookbook.

Cake:

• 2 cups cake flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 1-ounce squares unsweetened baking chocolate, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Frosting:

• 3 1-ounce squares unsweetened baking chocolate
• 2 3/4 cups powdered sugar
• 7 tablespoons light cream
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line with parchment 2 9″ cake pans. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.

In your mixer’s bowl, combine the shortening and sugar and beat until soft and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the melted chocolate and blend thoroughly.  Alternate adding the flour in 3 batches and milk in two, so that you add flour both first and last, and beat after each addition. Beat in the vanilla, then divide the cake into the prepared cake pans and spread evenly. Bake 30 minutes, or until the cakes spring back when gently pressed. Let cool completely before frosting.

To make the fudge frosting, first melt the butter and chocolate in a saucepan over low heat. Beat in 2 cups of the powdered sugar, the cream, and the salt, whisking until smooth and creamy. Cook, still on low and stirring slowly, until the mixture beings to bubble at the edges. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla and remaining 3/4 cup of powdered sugar. Beat slowly until smooth, somewhat cooled, and thick enough to spread, then frost.