Devil’s Food Cake Murder Read online

  “It’s too modern, dear. They didn’t use the word boyfriend in Regency times.”

  “Okay. How about…A Husband for Holly?”

  Delores mulled it over for a moment, and then she smiled. “I like that. Holly can be a commoner and the man she marries at the end of the book can be a titled gentleman. Some gentlemen did marry beneath their station, you know. And that elevated their brides to their station.”

  “If you marry a duke, you’re a duchess?”

  “Exactly right.”

  “What happens if a titled woman marries beneath her station? Does her new husband get elevated in status?”

  “No, dear. It doesn’t work the other way around. As a matter of fact, when a duke died, his duchess could no longer own their land or their homes. Her oldest son became the duke, and his wife became the new duchess. She was demoted to dowager duchess status.”

  “What status is that?”

  “It’s a steep step down, dear. A dowager duchess had to live in a small cottage called the dower house, a distance away from the duke’s castle. She had to give up all her jewelry and money, because they were an asset of the estate. Everything she had belonged to the new duke. And she depended totally on her son’s largess for any monies she needed to live.”

  “That’s not fair!”

  “Of course it’s not, but that’s the way it was then.”

  “Maybe she would have been better off not marrying at all,” Hannah speculated.

  “No, dear. Unmarried women were treated worse than pariahs. You see, all the eligible young ladies were trotted out in fine clothing for the Season in London.”

  “Season?”

  “That’s what they called it, dear. It was held right after the gentlemen finished hunting on their country estates and before Parliament was called back into session. The eligible young ladies were presented to the queen, and feted at balls and parties. It was arranged so that the unmarried men could take their pick of the debutants. A young lady was expected to receive at least one proposal of marriage.”

  “What happened to the young ladies who didn’t receive proposals?”

  “That’s the sad thing, dear. If a young woman went through more than one Season, she was considered to be on the shelf. She was often ridiculed and given uncomplimentary names like ape-leader.”

  “That’s horrible!”

  “Yes it is. Things are a lot better now. Look at you, dear. You’re over thirty and you’re not married. That would make you a spinster in Regency England. To make matters worse, you’re in trade. That was something a woman didn’t do unless it was to help in a shop owned by her husband.”

  “So I would have been totally unsuitable?”

  “Oh, my yes!” Delores glanced up at the clock on the wall. “I’m late, dear. I really have to rush.”

  Once her mother had left, Hannah sat down to wait for her cakes to come out of the oven. Regency England didn’t sound like a very good place to live if you were an independent woman. Every time she thought the current political climate was intolerable, she’d remember what happened to women then and thank her lucky stars she hadn’t been born back in Regency times.

  RED DEVIL’S FOOD CAKE

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

  1 cup water

  ¾ cup (1 and ½ sticks, 6 ounces) salted butter

  ½ cup brown sugar

  ½ cup white (granulated) sugar

  1-ounce square unsweetened chocolate (I used Baker’s)

  1 teaspoon instant espresso coffee powder

  1 and ½ cups white (granulated) sugar

  ½ teaspoon salt

  1 teaspoon baking soda

  ¼ teaspoon baking powder

  ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

  2 eggs (room temperature—float them in a cup with hot water if you forgot to take them out of the refrigerator last night)

  2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  3 cups cake flour (I used Swansdown)***

  *** - If you don’t have cake flour, you can use 2 and 2/3 cups all-purpose flour. Your cake won’t be as light in texture, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing when it comes to chocolate cake!

  Combine the water, butter, white sugar, and brown sugar in a small saucepan on the stovetop.

  Break (or cut) the square of unsweetened chocolate into two parts and add them to the saucepan.

  Turn the heat to MEDIUM HIGH and heat the mixture, stirring frequently, until the butter melts.

  Continue to stir until the mixture is smooth and the chocolate has melted.

  Pull the saucepan off the heat and add the teaspoon of instant espresso coffee powder. Stir it until the espresso powder dissolves.

  Let the mixture cool while you start in on the rest of the cake.

  Prepare two 9-inch round cake pans by spraying the insides with baking spray (the kind with flour in it). Tear off two sheets of parchment paper slightly larger than the bottom of your cake pans. Stack the parchment paper, place one cake pan on top, and trace around the bottom with a pen or pencil. Staying inside the pen or pencil mark, cut out the tracing you made. Fit the paper circles into the bottoms of your prepared pans, and then spray the parchment circles with baking spray.

  Hannah’s 1st Note: This cake is easy to make with an electric stand mixer, but you can also do it with a hand mixer or even completely by hand.

  Measure out one and a half cups of white sugar. Add about a third of it to the mixing bowl. (Just eyeball it—you don’t have to be exact.)

  Add the half-teaspoon of salt, the teaspoon of baking soda, and the ¼ teaspoon of baking powder to the mixing bowl.

  Turn the mixer on LOW. Let it run for thirty seconds or so and then shut it off. (If you do this by hand, make sure everything is thoroughly mixed.)

  Add the second third of the sugar to your bowl, turn the mixer on LOW again, and mix it for another thirty seconds or so.

  Measure the cocoa powder and add it to your bowl. Mix it in on LOW speed (Take it from me, you don’t want it all over your kitchen!) for another thirty seconds or so.

  Pour in the final third of sugar, turn the mixer on LOW again, and mix for a full minute.

  With the mixer still running on LOW, add one egg to your bowl. Mix it in thoroughly.

  Add the second egg to your bowl and mix that in thoroughly.

  With the mixer still running on LOW add the 2 teaspoons of vanilla and mix it in thoroughly. Turn off the mixer.

  Feel the outside of the saucepan with the chocolate and butter mixture. If it’s not so hot it could cook the eggs, you can work with it now. If it’s still too hot, let it cool a little more.

  When you’re ready to add the chocolate and butter mixture, turn the mixer on MEDIUM speed and SLOWLY pour half of the mixture into your bowl. Mix it in thoroughly, and then shut off the mixer.

  Now measure out your cake flour by scooping it up and then leveling it off with the blade of a table knife. DON’T PACK IT DOWN IN THE CUP.

  Add half of the flour to your bowl, turn the mixer on LOW, and mix it in thoroughly.

  With the mixer still running on LOW, add the other half of the chocolate and butter mixture to your bowl, pouring it in SLOWLY and mixing it thoroughly. Shut off the mixer.

  Add the rest of the flour to your bowl. Turn your mixer on LOW and mix until everything is well incorporated. Increase the mixer speed to MEDIUM and mix for a full minute. Then shut off the mixer.

  Take the bowl from the mixer and give the batter a good stir by hand, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. When you’re satisfied that the cake batter is well mixed, divide it as evenly as you can between the two cake pans.

  Bake at 325 degrees F. for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean. (Mine took 22 minutes.)

  Hannah’s 2nd Note: If you want to make this cake into mini cupcakes, fill paper-lined or greased mini-cupcake tins ¾ full with batter. Bake them at 350 degrees F. for 15 minutes.

&
nbsp; Remove the pans from the oven and cool them completely on a wire racks. To remove the cakes from their pans, simply run the blade of a table knife around the inside edges of the pans and tip the cakes out.

  How to Frost Red Devil’s Food Cake (or any cake, for that matter.)

  When you’re ready to frost your Red Devil’s Food Cake, turn one layer upside down on a cake plate so that the flat side is up. (If it’s too tippy that way, put it back in its pan and use a sharp knife to level off the top of the layer before you invert it on the cake plate a second time.)

  Use Fudgy Frosting (recipe below) between the layers.

  Position the second cake layer, rounded side up, on top of the frosting on the first layer.

  Now frost the top and the sides of your cake. Your masterpiece is complete!

  Hannah’s 3rd Note: Be generous with the frosting—it’s yummy!

  Yield: This cake will serve at least 12 people. It’s perfect paired with vanilla or coffee ice cream.

  (Mother likes this cake with chocolate ice cream, but that’s Mother. She convinced Dad to walk three blocks in a snowstorm when the car wouldn’t start and she ran out of chocolate ice cream!)

  FUDGY FROSTING

  2 cups semi-sweet (regular) chocolate chips (a 12-ounce package)

  ¼ teaspoon salt (it brings out the flavor of the chocolate)

  14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk

  1 ounce (2 Tablespoons) salted butter

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  Hannah’s Note: If you use a double boiler for this frosting, it’s foolproof. You can also make it in a heavy saucepan over low to medium heat on the stovetop, but you’ll have to stir it constantly with a wooden spoon or a heat-resistant spatula to keep it from scorching.

  Fill the bottom part of the double boiler with water. Make sure the water doesn’t touch the underside of the top.

  Put the chocolate chips and the salt in the top of the double boiler, set it over the bottom, and place the double boiler on the stovetop at medium heat. Stir occasionally until the chocolate chips are melted.

  Stir in the can of sweetened condensed milk and cook approximately 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the frosting is shiny and of spreading consistency.

  Shut off the heat, remove the top part of the double boiler to a cold burner, and quickly stir in the vanilla. (It may sputter a bit, so be careful.) Then add the butter and stir it in until it melts.

  Your frosting is ready to use.

  Once you have frosted your two-layer Red Devil’s Food Cake (or your Mini Cupcakes, if you decided to make those instead,) give the frosting pan to your favorite person to scrape. Once it cools, it’s just like fudge.

  Chapter Seven

  “He’s a very good minister,” Delores whispered to Hannah at the conclusion of Reverend Matthew’s sermon.

  “Yes, he is. That was a good sermon,” Hannah whispered back. Reverend Matthew had been in Lake Eden for less than a week, and he was doing a wonderful job of substituting for Reverend Bob. Claire had confided that her husband had deliberately stood aside and urged Reverend Matthew to take over all the church duties, including today’s holy sacrament of communion. It had been a test, and Reverend Matthew had passed with flying colors. So far this week, Reverend Matthew had officiated at three weddings, two christenings, and one funeral. He’d also led the men’s Bible study group, gone to Lake Eden Memorial Hospital to visit and give communion to sick parishioners, written the next church bulletin, and counseled two couples on their upcoming marriages.

  “He has such a fine singing voice!” Delores continued. “He’s handsome too, and an older man might be good for you, Hannah.”

  Hannah gave her mother a cease and desist look and Delores returned the volley with a shrug. Then both of them smiled in perfect harmony. They’d played this scene many times before. Hannah’s role was to object to any suggestion Delores had when it came to men. Her mother’s role was to continue to suggest that her eldest daughter should consider every unattached male of Hannah’s age or older as a potential husband.

  The hymn was almost over. When the final note in the second to the last stanza had been reached, or nearly reached since it ended on a high note, Delores and Hannah slid from the pew and tiptoed out. It was time for Hannah to arrange the cookies on the surfboard platter, and Delores had agreed to help.

  Lisa and Herb were already in the church basement with Marge. They’d put on the coffee, covered the surfboard with plastic wrap, placed it on the refreshment table, and set out napkins, cream and sugar, and lemon for those who preferred tea.

  “Are you going to do half one kind and half the other?” Herb asked Hannah as he carried a box of cookies to the table. “Or are you going to mix them up?”

  “I’ll mix them up. They’ll look prettier that way.”

  “I can do that,” Marge offered, starting to place the cookies on the surfboard that doubled as a platter.

  “I’ll help,” Delores said, hurrying over to do just that. “Are you going to the party tonight, Marge?”

  “No. Sunday night is our board game night and Jack really enjoys it. Parcheesi is his favorite, but he loves Uncle Wiggly too. He used to play it with the kids.”

  Delores gave a little sigh. “I know he used to be a marvelous Contract Bridge player. He doesn’t play anymore?”

  “No, it’s too frustrating. He forgets the conventions and he feels bad about forgetting. Board games are better and we all have a good time.”

  “Especially me,” Lisa said, coming up with the basket of herbal teabags. “Since I was the youngest, I always had to go to bed before the game was over. And then later, when I was old enough, the other kids didn’t want to play.”

  “What do you think of the substitute minister?” Herb asked Delores.

  “He’s very good. And he also looks very handsome in black.”

  Marge laughed. “Do I detect a hint of interest in your voice?” she teased.

  “Oh, he’s too young for me.”

  Hannah held her breath, waiting for her mother’s next comment and hoping it wouldn’t come. She sent Delores a look that said, Don’t you dare! and her mother returned it with a devilish smile.

  “Actually,” Delores said, “I was thinking of …”

  Hannah had all she could do not to groan as she waited for her mother to finish the sentence. Delores was about to exact her pound of flesh.

  “I was thinking of Vonnie Blair, Doc Knight’s secretary. She’s a lovely woman and very religious. She told me once that she’d been thinking of going into the ministry herself, but they wouldn’t have taken her seriously back then.”

  Thank you, Mother, Hannah said silently, sending her gratitude by way of the unique mother-daughter radar that existed between the two of them. Delores acknowledged the sentiment by giving a little nod. All was well. It wasn’t Get Hannah time.

  There was a sound from above their heads. Footsteps on the church floor. The service was over and Reverend Matthew had invited the whole congregation to Claire and Bob’s bon voyage party.

  Thirty minutes passed in less time than Hannah believed possible. Three-quarters of their cookies had disappeared, along with two forty-cup urns of coffee, and a third of their herbal tea packets. The children had drunk their fill of lemonade, little Dennis Weiler had touched five cookies before his mother had grabbed his hand, and Earl Flensburg had complimented Hannah repeatedly on the Mini Mac Cookies.

  Another ten minutes and all that was left was the cleanup. Hannah and Lisa received hugs from Reverend Bob and Claire before the happy couple went off to the parsonage to collect their luggage, shook hands with Reverend Matthew who complimented them on a wonderful job, and accepted Herb, Delores, and Marge’s offer to help with the cleanup. While Marge and Lisa washed the church coffee cups and spoons, and Herb folded up the church chairs and stacked them in their racks, Hannah and Delores wiped down the tables and packed up the few cookies that were left. In less than fifteen minutes they were com
pletely through.

  “See you tomorrow morning,” Hannah called out to Lisa as her partner drove off with Herb and Marge.

  “Earl certainly liked those Mini Mac Cookies, and Carrie ate three of the Papaya Macs,” Delores commented to Hannah as they walked to their cars. “If I baked, I’d make some for Wednesday night. They’re coming over for dinner.”

  Hannah knew when she was being tapped for cookies. “Would you like the leftover cookies, Mother?”

  “I’d love them, but aren’t you serving cookies at Doctor Bev’s birthday party? I heard you were providing the dessert.”

  “Yes, but not cookies. I’m bringing something else.” Hannah passed her mother the box of leftover cookies. “Just slip the box in a freezer bag and pop it in the freezer. Then take them out on Wednesday morning, let them thaw on the counter all day, and they’ll still be nice and fresh.”

  “Thank you, dear. I do wish that I could attend the party this evening, but I’m on deadline for the outline, you know.”

  Hannah sighed as she parted ways with her mother and headed to her cookie truck. One half of her wished that her mother would be there to support her, but the other half was glad that Delores wouldn’t be there to witness her daughter’s bad behavior just in case Hannah decided to scratch Beverly Thorndike’s eyes out.

  Hannah backed out of her parking spot and waved goodbye to her mother. Once she’d turned onto Third, she drove almost all the way to Main, but turned into the alley before she reached the stop sign. Moments later, she was parking in her usual spot behind The Cookie Jar. It was time to do what she really didn’t want to do, and make Mocha Trifles for Doctor Bev’s birthday party.