Growing up on a farm in southern Minnesota in the 1950s and 1960s, a favorite sweet treats was warm chocolate cake with Vanilla Butter Sauce. We called this dessert “cake-with-water.” Mom made the chocolate cake from a recipe she knew by heart. It was a dense cake, and maybe even a bit dry. But it worked just fine as the base for a substantial amount of the sauce. Here’s that recipe:
Vanilla Butter Sauce
In a sauce pan, melt 1/2 cup butter over medium heat.
Add 1/3 cup sugar and 3 Tablespoons cornstarch. Stir well.
Add 1-1/2 cup water and 1 Tablespoon vanilla.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce comes to a full boil. Boil for 1 minute.
Place pieces of chocolate cake in shallow bowls. Pour sauce over the cake and serve immediately. [Because the sauce is thickened with cornstarch, it does not “hold” well, so eat it all right away!]
Potentially Brilliant Ideas 