Revised Chocolate Jimmy Cake with Frosting

If you grew up in New England, you know jimmies are what the rest of the country calls chocolate sprinkles. And this cake bakes them right into the batter, where they soften just enough to create little pockets of chocolate throughout each slice.

The batter is old-fashioned in the best way. Shortening and margarine creamed with powdered sugar give the crumb a fine, tender texture. Cold coffee adds moisture and deepens the chocolate flavor without making the cake taste like coffee. Folding in stiffly beaten egg whites at the end is what lifts this cake from dense to light, giving it an airy quality that belies all that richness.

The frosting is a classic ermine-style (also called boiled milk frosting): butter, sugar, flour, and milk beaten together with vanilla until fluffy and smooth. It’s lighter and less sweet than buttercream, which lets the chocolate jimmies in the cake be the star.

Kitchen Tips

• Fold the egg whites gently with a rubber spatula. Stirring or beating deflates them and the cake loses its lift.
• Use cold coffee, not hot. Hot liquid melts the shortening too early and changes the batter’s structure.
• Warm the milk to room temperature before adding it to the frosting. Cold milk can cause the butter to seize and turn lumpy.
• A springform pan makes unmolding easy. Don’t skip greasing it well.

Variations

• Use rainbow sprinkles instead of chocolate jimmies for a funfetti-style version.
• Add a tablespoon of instant espresso powder to the frosting for a mocha finish.
• Layer the cake with raspberry jam between slices before frosting for a chocolate-raspberry twist.