Cake
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 eggs, separated
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract (we've always left this out)
1 quart vanilla ice cream, softened (or use whatever flavor strikes your fancy)
Frosting
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
3 Tbsp milk
3 Tbsp cocoa
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Method
Grease a 15- x 10- x 1-inch jellyroll pan. Line pan with paper; grease paper, and set pan aside.
Sift first 4 ingredients together; set mixture aside.
Beat egg whites (at room temperature) at high speed of an electric mixer until foamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until soft peaks form. Set aside.
Beat egg yolks until thick and lemon colored; stir in flavorings. Fold yolk mixture into egg white mixture; then gently fold in flour mixture. Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake at 350F for 12 minutes.
When cake is done, immediately loosen from sides of pan and turn out onto a damp towel. Peel off waxed paper. Starting at wide end, roll up cake and towel together; cool on wire rack, seam side down, 30 minutes.
Unroll cake; remove towel. Spread ice cream evenly over cake. Gently roll cake back up; carefully place on a large baking sheet, seam side down. Freeze until ice cream is firm.
While the cake is freezing, make the frosting. Combine all ingredients; beat until firm. Yield: enough frosting for one cake roll.
Frost cake with chocolate frosting; freeze until serving time. Yield: 8-10 servings.
Shelly's Note: This has been the traditional Tennant Family Birthday Cake Recipe since about the time the cookbook was written. The fact that you can personalize it with your favorite ice cream always made it that much more special! This is also one of the best frosting recipes I've ever tasted.
From Southern Living: 1984 Annual Recipes, p. 200
