Gateaux Jos Louis (Joe Louis Cakes)

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 1/2 c Butter
• 1/2 c Sugar, granulated
• 2 Eggs; beaten
• 1 c Milk
• 1 tb White vinegar
• 1 ts Baking soda
• 2 c Flour; all purpose
• 1 ts Baking powder
• 1/4 c Cocoa powder; unsweetened
• 1/2 ts Salt
• 1 1/2 ts Vanilla

Vanilla Filling:

• 2 Egg whites
• 1/2 c Sugar, granulated
• 1 pn Salt
• 2 tb Water
• 1 ts Vanilla

Chocolate Icing

• 2 tb Butter
• 2 tb Cocoa powder; unsweetened
• 2 tb Light cream; up to 3 T
• 1/2 ts Vanilla
• 1/2 c Icing (Confectioner's) sugar - approximate
  

Directions:

Cake:

1. Grease 12 medium muffin tins or 24 small ones. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until fluffy.
2. Measure milk into a 1 cup measure and stir in vinegar, then baking soda. In another bowl, sift or mix together flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt.
3. Combine dry ingredients with butter mixture with milk; stir in vanilla. Fill prepared muffin tins half full of batter.
4. Bake in a preheated 350F oven for about 10 minutes or until a tester inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in pan. Turn out onto rack and cool completely.
   

Vanilla Filling:

1. In top of a double boiler, set over boiling water, combine egg whites, granulated sugar, salt and water.
2. With an electric mixer, beat until stiff and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and beat in vanilla.
   

Chocolate Icing:

1. Cream soft butter with cocoa powder. Blend in cream and vanilla.
2. Stir in sifted icing (confectioner's) sugar until icing is of spreading consistency.
   

To Assemble:

1. Slice cakes in half horizontally.
2. Fill with Vanilla Filling and spread tops and sides with Chocolate Icing.