by Bill Whitney

Created on: November 13, 2009

Having grown up in the panhandle of the great state of Nebraska where there were many German families, I was privileged to taste really good home made sauerkraut and many good things made with sauerkraut. Unfortunately, most of the women that made the good homemade sauerkraut have passed on and many of the daughters or daughter in laws could care less about learning how to make all these good things. But fortunately there were a few that did learn and my best high school buddies wife is one of them and she has carried her mother in laws good cooking on into a couple generations. There is some pretty good sauerkraut that you can get in the stores but none of them compare to good home made kraut. Patty still makes it sometimes and she always sends me some.

Mrs Sauer used to make a chocolate sauerkraut cake and I can remember how moist and good it was. I hadn't thought about it for a long time but when I saw this recipe in the food section of the Denver Post and a big article about sauerkraut it reminded me of that great cake my buddies mother used to make. I immediately went to the store and got the things iI needed to make it and it was just as good as I remembered it being. This recipe was adapted from a recipe by John Shields of Gertrude's in Baltimore and gotten from the Washington Post. Gertrude very well could have gotten her recipe from Mrs Sauer. Who knows?

CHOCOLATE SAUERKRAUT CAKE

10 2/3 tbsp (1 stick plus 2 2/3 tbsp)

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

1 tbsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups flour plus enough more to dust the cake pan

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder.

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup water

2/3 cup homemade or store bought sauerkraut rinsed, drained and finely chopped

Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 . Use a little butter to grease two 8" cake pans then dust with flour shaking off the excess flour. If desired place 8" circles of parchment paper or wax paper in the bottom of each pan.

Combine the butter and he sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand held mixer, beat on medium speed for 5 minutes until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, beating to incorporate after each addition. Add the vanilla extract.

Stir together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda on a sheet of wax or parchment paper. Reduce the speed of the mixer to low and add the flour mixturealternately with the water beating till smooth.

Use a spatula to fold in the drained chopped sauerkraut until well incorporated. Divide the thick batter evenly between the two prepared pans, leveling the surfaces.. Place both pans on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until cakes spring back lightly when touched. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This cake can be cooled completely and then wrapped in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Freeze for up to a month.. If you are at 5000-6000 feet decrease the baking powder by 1/8 tsp. Above 6000 feet decrease by 1/4 tsp.

The sauerkraut gives it a bit of a bite but it is very moist and good.just plain or with a butter cream frosting. Pour yourself a cup of Java and enjoy a piece of great cake.

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