Perfect Chocolate cake

 

This cake is worth every second. I can't wait to make it again. My husband is not a big cake eater and I could not believe how much cake he ate - multiple pieces in one sitting every day until it was gone. This recipe is on the back of the Swans Down cake flour box. I used to use "Barefoot Contessa's" recipe, which was similar in that it called for hot coffee and buttermilk (this calls for sour cream but same effect) but I like this recipe SO much better.

Ingreds:

• 3 oz unsweetened chocolate melted (I used Dove Chocolate)
• 1 stick unsalted butter softened
• 2 1/4 c light brown sugar, packed
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 1/4 c Swans Down Cake Flour
• 1 c sour cream
• 1 c boiling water (I used STRONG coffee made from the french press instead of water. I HIGHLY recommend this)

Preheat Oven to 350

In a large bowl cream butter. Add brown sugar and eggs. Beat with mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla extract and chocolate, then baking soda and salt. Add flour alternately with sour cream, beating til smooth. Pour in hot coffee, stir with spoon until blended. Batter will be very thin. Pour into prepared pans. Depending on the cake I and butter it and dust it differently. If it's a vanilla cake I butter it and then dust it with sugar instead of flour. If the cake is chocolate I dust it with sugar and cocoa powder - again no flour.

Bake for approx 30 minutes or until toothpick is clean when testing.

 

I made this cake twice and used different pans each time. I used a medium baking sheet (I think its the medium one: 13x9x1) by pampered chef. I wanted the cake to be thin so I could cut the cake into thirds and stack it high. The second time I made it I used regular round cake pans.

 

FROSTING:

• 2 c whipping cream
• 8oz Dove Dark Chocolate (melted)

I make sure my bowl and beaters are cold (stick in freezer for 10 min or so). I beat the whipping cream until it begins to get pretty thick a.k.a. stiff peaks. I add the chocolate and beat for another 30 seconds or a minute. Not too long or you will have chocolate butter, which doesn't sound too bad (better for croissants though not cake). I test it to see if the consistency will spread well over a cake. If it looks curdled it's on cusp of being butter.

After the cake cools a bit I remove the cake from the pans. The cake is still usually warm. I stick them in the fridge. I want them to be completely cold so the frosting does not melt. I frost the entire cake with a thin layer of frosting and then stick it back in the fridge. If you see the frosting getting soft just stop and stick everything in the fridge. Let it firm up and continue. I put a second layer of frosting on the cake about an hour before serving. Stick it back in the fridge until you are ready to serve.