Stephanie's Chocolate Sour Cream Cake

Inspired by Jim Fobels German Chocolate Cake from “Old Fashioned Baking Book”

½ Cup water
1 ½ Cups High Quality Chocolate Chips-such as Ambrosia or Ghiradelli
OR 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 Cup butter at room temperature
1 2/3 Cups sugar
4 extra large eggs at room temperature
2 teaspoons Vanilla-for best results use Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla
1 Cup Sour Cream
2 ¼ Cups flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Salt

Preheat oven to 350o. Line 3 shiny aluminum cake pans (either 8” or 9”) with waxed paper or parchment paper. Do not grease sides.

Bring water to boil in small saucepan. Remove from heat and add the chocolate, stirring until smooth.

In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla, sour cream and chocolate mixture until well blended. Add flour, soda & salt, beating just until completely incorporated.

Divide batter evenly into pans. Drop each from about 8” onto counter to break any bubbles that may be in batter. Bake about 30-35 minutes (slightly longer for 8” pans) or until the tops spring back slightly when touched and toothpick in center comes out clean.

After cooling for about 5 minutes, take a dinner fork and poke holes in cake all around edge and center. Brush with about 2 tablespoons of Torani Chocolate syrup (The kind of syrup used for drinks. I buy it at Smart & Final). You could also use Almond or Black Cherry syrup for variety. It will all soak into cake. You don’t want to use too much because the cake will fall apart if it is too wet, but 2 tablespoons each layer is a good starting point.

Let cakes cool completely in pans then run a knife around the edge to loosen. Turn upside down and remove waxed paper from bottoms. Put first layer upside down on cake plate, spread with generous amount of frosting, them place second layer also upside down. Spread with more frosting, and then put top layer on right side up. Frost sides and top last. You can refrigerate to set cake quickly or leave at room temperature.

Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting

2 Cups High Quality Chocolate Chips-such as Ambrosia or Ghiradelli OR 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
½ Cup Butter-do not use margarine
1 Cup Sour Cream
2 teaspoons Vanilla-for best results use Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla
½ teaspoon Salt
5 ½ Cups Powdered Sugar

Melt butter and chocolate either in microwave or in small saucepan. Let cool slightly and mix with sour cream, vanilla and salt in mixer bowl. Gradually add powdered sugar until frosting is of spreading consistency. When it becomes glossy and thickened, it is the right consistency. You do not want it to be too stiff, as it will set up very firm when refrigerated. It will become lighter brown the more you beat it; so if you want it very dark, just beat until smooth.

Notes:
I often use the large bittersweet chocolate bars from Trader Joes—they care called “Bittersweet Pound Plus”. I break it in half and use half for the cake and half for the frosting with an extra ½ cup of chocolate chips thrown in.

You must use real butter, real vanilla and good chocolate for it to taste like mine. Otherwise, it will still be a wonderful homemade cake, but to achieve sublime flavor, you gotta use the good stuff!