A taste from the "Joy of Cooking"

One of my good friends is a chocolate fiend and we thought this would satisfy her craving because of the 4 ounces of chocolate that goes into it (about 1 Hershey's chocolate bar). However, the resulting taste was more like a coffee cake than a birthday cake. I don't recommend shaving the chocolate by hand with a cheese grater - it was very messy!! But Wiki Answers says the best methods are with a potato peeler or a melon baller:

Vegetable or Potato Peeler - Hold the chocolate with a paper towel and pass the vegetable peeler over the narrowest side of the chocolate block. The chocolate will curl up like wood shavings.

Melon Ball Scoop - Position the bar of chocolate on a parchment paper covered pan and hold it down with a paper towel. Scrape the melon ball scoop across the surface of the chocolate. You will get curved shavings.

OLD WORLD CHOCOLATE SPICE CAKE WITH CITRON

A tempting tube cake with a rather heavy crumb. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Have all ingredients about 70 degrees. Sift before measuring:

2 1/2 cups cake flour

Resift with:

1 1/2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Cream until soft:

1/2 cup butter

Add gradually and cream until light:

1 1/2 cups sugar

Beat in one at a time:

4 eggs

Sitr in:

4 oz grated sweet chocolate

1/2 cup very finely shaved citron, candied orange or lemon peel

Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture in about 3 parts, alternating with:

7/8 cup milk

Bake for 60 minutes or until cooked through. Allow to cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

I'm super excited to nibble on this cake with my tea - nothing better for an "Old World" Cake.