This particular recipe I got from Taste of Home, and that's also where this ingredients list and directions are from. I'm just going to put this disclaimer at the beginning, I did not make my own frosting. I forgot to get confectioner's sugar at the store, but I did have chocolate fudge frosting at home because... well chocolate fudge, that's why. I also only made one cake, and I didn't separate it for a layer cake because I don't have the pans for that.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 2-1/4 cups packed brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
- 2-1/4 cups cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup butter, cubed
- 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 3-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottoms of two greased 9-in. round baking pans with parchment paper; grease paper.
- In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and cooled chocolate. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream and water, beating well after each addition.
- Transfer batter to prepared pans. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove paper. Cool completely.
- For frosting, in a small heavy saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over low heat. Remove from heat; cool 5 minutes. In a large bowl, beat confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add chocolate mixture, beating until light and fluffy. Spread between layers and over top and sides of cake. Yield: 12 servings.
Because I didn't split the mix into two separate cakes, I had to bake it for an extra 17 minutes. So the time has basically doubled.
My kitchenaid has seen better days, it's not currently working, so trying to cream the butter and brown sugar by hand was incredibly discouraging. It didn't help that I was using old, clumpy brown sugar. Even when it was all mixed up, it didn't look like butter and sugar normally look when creamed. Once I added the eggs, I felt a lot better about it. I actually panicked a little bit because I didn't have any room temperature eggs, then I remembered I haven't checked the chicken coop for eggs yet. Luckily there were three eggs waiting for me!
You don't have to use a double boiler, I think, but it seemed like the perfect time to finally use it. It worked out really well.
This is the most important note of all: This is meant to be a layer cake, and I recommend making it as such. By itself, it's not terribly sweet, and that little extra layer of frosting would make it the perfect amount of sweetness.
Review:
This cake is moist, but not too dense. It's not too sweet (which was the problem with my last cake), and balances out really well with the frosting, which is not overpowering.
After getting the butter and sugar to cream, it was super easy to make.
It looks like it would be really easy to make as a layer cake if I had the right pans for it.
Total Score:
3