Pennsylvania Dutch Chocolate Funny Cake

I have a long list of family-favorite desserts and this is my absolute No. 1. It’s part fluffy vanilla cake, part butter pie crust, with a layer of chocolate in between.

—Jennifer Switzer, Carlisle, PA

Prep: 35 min. + chilling

Bake: 40 min. + cooling

Makes: 2 pies (8 servings each)

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup cold shortening, cubed

1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed 6 to 8 Tbsp. ice water

1/2 cup shortening

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature 1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 cup whole milk

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup baking cocoa 1 cup boiling water 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1. In a large bowl, mix flour and salt; cut in shortening and butter until crumbly. Gradually add ice water, tossing with a fork until dough holds together when pressed. Divide dough in half. Shape each into a disk. Wrap; refrigerate 1 hour or overnight.

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll half of the dough to an 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. deep-dish pie plate. Trim crust to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate; flute edge. Repeat with remaining dough. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, beat shortening and sugar until crumbly. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour and baking powder; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Divide batter between pie plates.

4. For chocolate layer, in a small bowl, combine sugar and cocoa. Whisk in boiling water and vanilla until sugar is dissolved.

Pour over cake layers.

5. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes.

Cool completely on wire racks.

1 PIECE 474 cal., 19g fat (7g sat. fat), 40mg chol., 225mg sod., 69g carb.(39g sugars, 1g fiber), 6g pro.

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