Tweed Squares a.k.a. “Tweedies.” (Newfoundland)

canadian-newfoundland-tweedsquares Vanilla cake with flecks of grated chocolate baked in, topped with vanilla frosting and finished with a layer of chocolate. A Newfoundland favourite.

Cake Base:
1½ cup all-purpose flour, unbleached
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. sea salt
½ cup butter
⅔ cup sugar
2 egg yolks, reserve whites
½ cup milk
1 oz dark chocolate, finely grated.

Vanilla Frosting:
⅓ cup butter
1½ cups confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
a little milk

Chocolate Topping:
1 cup chocolate chips
2 Tbsp. butter

Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C/140°C fan, Gas Mark 3). Grease and flour a 9x9” baking pan well or line with parchment paper.

Prepare the Cake Base:
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside

Cream together the butter and sugar well. Add the egg yolks and beat until creamy.

Fold in the flour alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Do mot over mix.

Beat the egg whites to soft peaks and gently fold them into the cake batter. When the egg whites are almost incorporated fold in the grated chocolate.

Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Be careful not to over bake the cake portion. Cool completely on a wire rack. Top with vanilla frosting.

Prepare the Vanilla Frosting:
Cream together the butter icing sugar and vanilla.

You may add a little milk a tsp. at a time, if the frosting seems too stiff to be spreadable but the frosting should be quite a thick consistency; much thicker than cake frosting.

Spread evenly on the baked cake base and chill in the fridge for a couple of hours before adding the chocolate topping.

Prepare the Chocolate Topping:
Melt the chocolate and butter together over low heat or in a double boiler.

Cool to lukewarm and spread quickly over the chilled frosting. Let the chocolate set before cutting into squares or bars and serving.

Makes 24 servings.

Cook’s Notes:

For a thinner cake base, try being this recipe in a 9x13" pan and adding 1½ times the recipe for the filling and topping.
If your cake domes too much in the 9x13" pan, you can always cut a little off the top horizontally with a serrated knife before adding the frosting layer.