Brooklyn Blackout Cake (Inspired by Ebinger's, Not Official)
Inspired by, not official: a homage to the lost Ebinger's bakery's famous cake, with dark chocolate layers, a thick chocolate pudding filling, fudgy icing and a coat of chocolate cake crumbs.
Ebinger's was a German bakery founded on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn in 1898 by George and Catherine Ebinger, and it grew into a chain across Brooklyn and Queens, according to histories by 6sqft and Untapped New York (and). Its most famous product was a chocolate layer cake with chocolate pudding inside and cake crumbs outside. The name "blackout" is usually tied to World War II, when blackout drills darkened Brooklyn to hide ships leaving the Brooklyn Navy Yard; that account comes from a 1969 New York Times article as retold by the writer Leah Koenig, and when the cake first got its name is DISPUTED. Ebinger's closed in 1972, and the original recipe went with it. King Arthur Baking says its own version makes no claim to follow Ebinger's ingredients or technique, only the idea. This is inspired by, not official.
🇺🇸 This one is American
Inspired by, not official: a homage to the lost Ebinger's bakery's famous cake, with dark chocolate layers, a thick chocolate pudding filling, fudgy icing and a coat of chocolate cake crumbs.
🇦🇹 The original
Vienna's original is a dense chocolate sponge spread with apricot jam under a hard, glossy chocolate glaze, served with unsweetened whipped cream. See the Sachertorte (Viennese Chocolate Apricot Torte) recipe.
📖 Myth check: Why Is Red Velvet Cake Red? Cocoa, Beets or Food Coloring →
Why it works the kitchen science
A filling cooked by hot cream
Cream at 205°F or hotter cooks the egg and melts the ground chocolate in one step, and overnight chilling sets it into a thick pudding that won't squeeze out.
The crumb coat is the cake itself
Trimming the domes flattens the layers for stacking and turns the scraps into the crumb coat Ebinger's was known for.
Step by step
- Step 1
The day before, pulse the chocolate chips, salt, sugar and espresso powder in a blender or food processor until finely ground, then pulse in the egg. Heat the cream until it bubbles hard around the edges and reads at least 205°F. With the machine running, pour in the hot cream, scraping as needed, then pulse in the vanilla. Pour into a shallow bowl and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight, until thick.
- Step 2
Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 8 x 2-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with greased parchment.
- Step 3
Whisk the sugar, flour, cornstarch, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder in a large bowl. Add the eggs, oil and vanilla and beat 2 minutes on medium, scraping the bowl. Stir in the water; the batter will be thin.
- Step 4
Divide between the pans and bake 35 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes in the pans, then turn out and cool completely, about 1 hour.
- Step 5
For the icing, heat the cream and chocolate until the cream steams and bubbles at the edges, about 1 minute in the microwave, and stir until smooth. Refrigerate 30 minutes, then beat briefly until thick and spreadable.
- Step 6
Slice the domed tops off both layers and crumble them into fine crumbs. Set one layer on a plate, spread the filling to the edges and top with the second layer.
- Step 7
Spread the icing over the top and sides, then press the cake crumbs onto the top and sides by the handful. Serve within a couple of hours, or refrigerate and serve within 24 hours.
Brooklyn Blackout Cake (Inspired by Ebinger's, Not Official)
Serves 12 · one 8-inch two-layer cake · 1 hr 30 min total
Pudding filling (make the day before)
- 1 cup (170 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/8 tsp table salt
- 2 tbsp (25 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp espresso powder (optional)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature (pasteurized if you like)
- 1 cup (227 g) heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Cake
- 2 cups (397 g) granulated sugar
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp (14 g) cornstarch
- 3/4 cup (64 g) Dutch-process cocoa
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp table salt
- 1 tsp espresso powder (optional)
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (149 g) vegetable oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups (283 g) water
Icing
- 1 1/2 cups (255 g) semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
- 3/4 cup (170 g) heavy cream
Method
- The day before, pulse the chocolate chips, salt, sugar and espresso powder in a blender or food processor until finely ground, then pulse in the egg. Heat the cream until it bubbles hard around the edges and reads at least 205°F. With the machine running, pour in the hot cream, scraping as needed, then pulse in the vanilla. Pour into a shallow bowl and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight, until thick.
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 8 x 2-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with greased parchment.
- Whisk the sugar, flour, cornstarch, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder in a large bowl. Add the eggs, oil and vanilla and beat 2 minutes on medium, scraping the bowl. Stir in the water; the batter will be thin.
- Divide between the pans and bake 35 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes in the pans, then turn out and cool completely, about 1 hour.
- For the icing, heat the cream and chocolate until the cream steams and bubbles at the edges, about 1 minute in the microwave, and stir until smooth. Refrigerate 30 minutes, then beat briefly until thick and spreadable.
- Slice the domed tops off both layers and crumble them into fine crumbs. Set one layer on a plate, spread the filling to the edges and top with the second layer.
- Spread the icing over the top and sides, then press the cake crumbs onto the top and sides by the handful. Serve within a couple of hours, or refrigerate and serve within 24 hours.
Adapted from King Arthur Baking's "Chocolate Fudge Blackout Cake". Amounts, pans, oven, timing, filling method and the 205°F cream rule are King Arthur's. King Arthur allows its Bread and Cake Enhancer, Instant ClearJel or cornstarch in the cake; we use cornstarch. Ebinger's recipe was never published; this is labeled "inspired by, not official" and must never use the bakery's name in a logo, box or sign in any image. The Ebinger's history comes from 6sqft and Untapped New York through search summaries; we could not open either page. King Arthur Baking. Ingredient list follows the source; the method is in our own words.
All sources (3)
Tips
- King Arthur says good-quality chocolate chips matter; cheap chips can keep the filling from setting.
- Check the cream with a thermometer; if it isn't hot enough the egg won't cook and the filling stays runny.
- Freeze leftovers well wrapped, including single slices (King Arthur).
- Keep it cold after 2 hours because of the cream filling (see the Food safety baseline).
The rules people argue about
What the sources agree on, what they don't, and what is just a good story.
- The name comes from World War II blackout drills. Disputed: the usual story, from a 1969 New York Times article retold by Leah Koenig (via 6sqft); historians quoted by Untapped New York say the cake may have been sold as a chocolate layer cake before it was called blackout.
- Ebinger's recipe survives. Folklore: Ebinger's closed in 1972, and King Arthur says its version does not follow the original's ingredients.
- The crumbs on the outside are the trademark. Documented by King Arthur, which calls the cake-crumb coating Ebinger's trademark.
- Blackout cake should be served cold. Folklore: King Arthur serves it within a couple of hours or refrigerates it for up to 24.
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