For cake batter:
300 grams flour
100 grams unsweetened cocoa ("cacao amaro")
200 grams sugar
3 eggs, separated
1/2 glass (3 ounces) milk
1/2 packet of vanilla-flavored baking powder (e.g. "Pane degli Angeli")

For topping:
Chocolate frosting or
Whipped cream and fresh strawberries

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.

Grease and flour a cake pan of 26 centimeters in diameter.

Beat egg whites until stiff.

In a separate bowl beat the egg yolks with the sugar until very creamy -- about 5 minutes.

Add the flour, cocoa and milk. Blend well.

Add the baking powder.

Fold in the beaten egg whites.

Pour the batter in a well-greased and floured cake pan and bake at 350 F degrees until done -- about 40 minutes.

Cool.

Decorate the cake with chocolate frosting, or with whipped cream and fresh strawberries.

Mrs. Anna-Maria Benvenuto has collected hundreds of recipes from relatives, friends, and neighbors over the years. She recorded the recipes in Italian in numerous notebooks, often naming the recipe after the person who gave it to her. Mrs. Anna-Maria Benvenuto also copied recipes from Italian cookbooks, magazines and newspapers. The recipe in this entry was found in an Italian cookbook published in the early 1970s. Being an avid baker Mrs. Benvenuto tried out many of the recipes herself. However, because of her enormous talent and expertise, she did not feel the need to write detailed instructions as she knew how to make the recipes without them. However, when asked by this website's archivist (Mary Melfi) for details, she quickly volunteered the information. Nonetheless, as with most first generation Italian-Canadian handwritten recipes, it is understood that whoever attempts to duplicate them should have some knowledge of what they are doing.... Photo: Mary Melfi

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