Eat NYC by Yasmin Newman
Yasmin Newman’s new cookbook Eat NYC takes us on a tour across the five boroughs to celebrate the most iconic dishes in New York.
Photography: Alan Benson
Brooklyn blackout cake from Eat NYC—recipe shared below.
'New York is not a city, it’s a world,' says Yasmin Newman.
NY pizza by the slice ( two ways) from Eat NYC.
The best way to discover a city is always through its food, venturing away from the landmarks and tourist traps and seeking out the alleyways and local joints where everyday life takes place.
Nowhere is this truer than in New York, whose rich tapestry of communities and history can be experienced with each passing street. Every square foot reveals something unique about the city, and the scene is always evolving.
Eat NYC, the new cookbook by Yasmin Newman takes us through NYC, one iconic New York dish at a time.
‘Every time I return [to NYC] I’m swept up in never-ending discovery and unapologetic authenticity, from high to low and everything in between. I’m not the first and certainly not the last to feel the pull of New York, a city that casts its spell on us all,’ says Yasmin.
Yasmin takes us on a tour across the five boroughs to celebrate New York’s incredible dishes. From bagels and babkas to the Reuben, classic pizza slices, hotdogs, pretzels and the world-famous New York cheesecake, Yasmin shares the recipes that feed the city—from morning to night.
Below we share a recipe from the new cookbook: Brooklyn blackout cake.
This is an edited extract from Eat NYC by Yasmin Newman—published by Smith Street Books. Purchase the book online now here.
Daily special cherry pie from Eat NYC.
Grilled cheese & tomato soup combo from Eat NYC.
Bagel schmears – 'How can you eat a bagel in New York? According to locals, the first step is choosing the type: plain salt, sesame, poppy seed, onion, garlic or everything. Next, untoasted or toasted,' says Yasmin Newman.
BROOKLYN BLACKOUT CAKE
This cake is everything the name conjures—decadently rich, dark, and delicious, with layers of moist coffee-kissed chocolate cake, creamy chocolate pudding, and glossy glaze, making it one of the best chocolate cakes of all time, and inspiring chocolate desserts around the world. Invented by the Brooklyn bakery chain Ebinger’s, the cake takes its name from the blackout drills of World War II, when city lights were dimmed and windows covered with black to prevent sightings by enemy planes.
Makes 12-16
INGREDIENTS
3 cups (450 g) all-purpose (plain) flour 31⁄2 oz (100 g) unsweetened (Dutch)
cocoa powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 eggs
3 cups (660 g) superfine (caster) sugar 3⁄4 cup (185 ml) vegetable oil
1 1⁄2 cups (375 ml) buttermilk
1 1⁄2 cups (375 ml) brewed coffee, at room temperature
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
Chocolate pudding
1 1⁄2 cups (375 ml) milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch (cornflour) pinch of fine sea salt
2 egg yolks
5 1⁄2 oz (150 g) dark chocolate (55% cocoa solids), chopped
1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract 3⁄4 oz (20 g) unsalted butter
Coffee chocolate glaze
9 oz (250 g) dark chocolate (55% cocoa solids), chopped
1 3⁄4 oz (50 g) unsalted butter, chopped 1⁄4 cup (60 ml) strong brewed coffee
1 tablespoon glucose or corn syrup
1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
METHOD
To make the chocolate pudding, place the sugar and 1 cup (250 ml) of the milk in a saucepan over medium heat and bring almost to the boil. Place the remaining 1⁄2 cup (125 ml) of milk in a bowl, add the cornstarch, salt, and egg yolks and whisk until smooth.
Gradually whisk in the warm milk mixture, then return the mixture to the pan. Cook, whisking constantly, until thickened. Remove from the heat. Add the chocolate, vanilla extract, and butter, whisking until melted and combined. Cover the surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour, or until cold.
Preheat the oven to 350oF (180oC). Grease two 8 in (20 cm) round cake tins and line the bases with baking paper.
Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl and set aside. Using a stand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until light and creamy. Add the oil and beat until well combined. Alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk until just combined, beating after each addition. Add the coffee and vanilla extract and beat until just combined.
Divide the batter between the cake tins. Bake for 60–70 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then transfer the cakes to wire racks to cool completely.
For the coffee chocolate glaze, place the chocolate and butter in a saucepan over low heat and stir until melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the coffee, glucose, and vanilla extract until smooth and combined. Set aside until cooled to a pouring consistency.
Using a long serrated knife, trim the tops of the cakes to make them level. Cut each cake in half horizontally through the middle. Spread one cake layer with one-third of the chocolate pudding, then top with another layer of cake. Add another one-third of the chocolate pudding, then repeat this process and finish with the final cake layer, bottom-side up, to create a smooth top. Cover the top and side of the cake with the glaze. Chill for 1 hour to soak in the syrup and firm up, then cut into slices to serve.