January Jeliciousness: Chocolate Icebox Cake

Beverly Garland was a legend: actress, sex symbol, humanitarian, hotelier, mayor of North Hollywood. She was also a very good cook. Her daughter, Carrington Garland Goodman has sent me this delicious yet relatively simple recipe for Chocolate Lady Fingers Ice Box Cake aka Mexican Wedding Cake, which was, she tells me, her mother's go-to recipe for family celebrations.

Carrington says: My grandmother, (on my father's side) made this cake every Christmas. She passed away a month before I was born so my memory is of my Mom making it. The cake was made every Christmas Eve and I remember licking every bowl during the process. I still have my grandmothers' double boiler for the chocolate. The chocolate is so rich and light in texture I could eat it all day! When my mom was older and we took on the family dinners, we kept the tradition alive. It is everyone's favorite!


Chocolate Ice Box Cake aka Mexican Wedding Cake

4 squares unsweetened chocolate
1/4 cup water
1 cup sugar
6 eggs, separated
1/2 pound sweet butter
1  1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
About 2 1/2 dozen ladyfingers

Melt chocolate, then add water and sugar. When it becomes thick add well-beaten egg yolks. Let cool.

Cream butter with powdered sugar. Add chocolate mixture to butter mixture. Stir in vanilla. Fold in stiffly beaten eggs whites. Line bottom and sides of a greased 9-10 inch spring-form pan with ladyfingers. Pour mixture into pan. Arrange remaining ladyfingers attractively on top.

Refrigerate overnight. Top with sweetened whipped cream and chocolate decorates (sprinkles or shavings).

From the school fundraiser cookbook