Recipe: Rich Damp Cake with Green Sugar (Peter Pan)

He stood for a long time lost in thought, and at last a curdling smile lit up his swarthy face. Smee had been waiting for it. "Unrip your plan, captain," he cried eagerly.

"To return to the ship," Hook replied slowly through his teeth, "and cook a large rich cake of a jolly thickness with green sugar on it. There can be but one room below, for there is but one chimney. The silly moles had not the sense to see that they did not need a door apiece. That shows they have no mother. We will leave the cake on the shore of the Mermaids' Lagoon. These boys are always swimming about there, playing with the mermaids. They will find the cake and they will gobble it up, because, having no mother, they don't know how dangerous 'tis to eat rich damp cake." He burst into laughter, not hollow laughter now, but honest laughter. "Aha, they will die."

The Cake (found on AllRecipes.com)

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 2 cups white sugar
  
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
  
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 1 cup strong brewed coffee
  
• 1 cup buttermilk
  
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two 9 inch round cake pans with cooking spray.
2. In large bowl, sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add sugar. (This is a vital step. I missed the sugar somehow and when I tasted the batter it was... hideous. Luckily I hadn't poured it into the pans yet, so in went the sugar!)
3. Add eggs, coffee, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. Batter will be thin. Pour into prepared pans.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 to 40 minutes (mine only needed thirty), or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and finish cooling on a wire rack.

The Icing

• 1/2 cup shortening
  
• 1/2 cup salted butter (softened)
  
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
  
• 1 teaspoon imitation vanilla extract
  
• 1/4 cup cream
  
• 6 drops yellow food coloring
  
• 2 drops green food coloring
  

Directions
1. Cream shortening and butter together. Add confectioner's sugar and continue creaming until well blended.
2. Add vanilla and cream. Beat on low speed until moistened. Add food coloring. Beat at high speed until frosting is fluffy. Spread onto cool cake.

The Sugar

• 1/4 cup turbinado sugar or coarse sugar
  
• 3 drops green food coloring
  

Directions
1. Pour the sugar into a sealable container. Add the food coloring. Shake until the color is evenly distributed.
2. Pour onto a plate and let dry. Sprinkle over the cake.