This is our annual Seder dessert, based on Passover Matzo-Layer Cake, from Josephine Levy Bacon’s Jewish Cooking from Around the World (1986).
Sometime back there was a flurry of excitement over revelation by the Royal Baker of Queen Elizabeth’s favourite chocolate cake, a refrigerator cake known as Chocolate Biscuit Cake. I was as interested as the next person in learning about this vaunted chocolate cake and made it at home for my family. Only later, I realised that the recipe is very similar to our own familiar Seder Chocolate Cake, which I am sharing here. Who knew?
Ingredients
1/4 cup sugar
4 oz bakers chocolate
2 T cocoa
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup coffee (cooled) (may substitute water)
1/2 cup vegan butter
1/2 cup Halva, crumbled or cut into small pieces
1/2 cup Seder Wine (sweet)
2 Tablespoons potato starch
2 Tablespoons water
6 Square Matzot
Extra (1 ounce) halva for decoration
Optional: fresh berries
Instructions
1. Stir together over low heat the sugar, chocolate, cocoa, cinnamon, coffee, and continue stirring until it comes to a boil.
2. Add vegan butter, halva and wine and stir until it again comes to a boil, then remove the pot from the burner.
3. Mix potato starch and water, and stir into the pot.
4. Return the pot to the burner over low heat, stirring approximately 8 – 10 minutes until it thickens and remove the pot from the burner and allow to cool.
5. To assemble the cake, place the first Matzah on the cake platter and spread an even layer of the chocolate mixture over the Matzah, and repeat in turn for all 6 Matzot, ending with a layer of chocolate.
6. Decorate the cake with remaining halva.
7. Chill opportunity several hours or overnight before serving.
8. Optional: In addition to the halva, it is nice to decorate the cake with fresh raspberries, strawberries or blueberries before serving.
Your Second-Middle Age: 