My grandmother used to make this cake for special occasions, birthdays, etc. When she passed 25 years ago, I got the recipe. Whenever I make this cake, whomever has some raves that it's the best chocolate cake they've ever had. It always turns out very moist and has a very rich taste. Some say the frosting is too sweet. I have started making it with only one teaspoon of Vanilla and have heard fewer of those comments.
When I was working for a living, I gave this recipe out to any co-worker that asked. Only one woman was able to reproduce it. The rest just didn't taste right. In questioning them, I found that they substituted ingredients, and/or didn't measure, etc. They were always still confused as to why it didn't turn out. Duh!
I became the cake "God" because I could measure and follow directions. What I'm trying to say is; don't mess it up.
I use the best ingredients I can find. Don't substitute margarine for butter. Use salted butter. Use cake flour! Use real sour cream, not the light stuff. Use real milk, not watered down low-cal shit. It's cake, it's supposed to have calories. This is an old recipe and it turns out great if followed to the letter. FWIW, I grease my cake pans with Crisco. I also use dark pans.
CHOCOLATE CAKE
3 SQUARES UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE
2¼ CUPS SIFTED CAKE FLOUR
2 TEASPOONS BAKING SODA
½ TEASPOON SALT
½ CUP (1 STICK) BUTTER OR MARGARINE
2¼ CUPS FIRMLY PACKED LIGHT BROWN SUGAR
3 EGGS
1½ TEASPOONS VANILLA
1 CUP DAIRY SOUR CREAM
1 CUP BOILING WATER
1. Melt chocolate in a small bowl over hot, not boiling water; cool.
2. Grease two 9x1½? round layer-cake pans. Dust lightly with flour; tap out excess.
3. Sift flour, baking soda and salt onto wax paper.
4. Beat butter or margarine in a large bowl until soft. Add brown sugar and eggs; beat with electric mixer at high speed, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in vanilla and cooled, melted chocolate.
5. Stir in dry ingredients alternately with sour cream, beating well with a wooden spoon after each addition, until batter is smooth. Stir in boiling water. (Batter will be thin.) Pour cake batter at once into prepared pans.
6. Bake in moderate oven (350º) 35 minutes, or until centers spring back when lightly presses with fingertip.
7. Cool layers in pans on wire racks, 10 minutes; loosen around edges with a knife; turn out onto wire racks; cool completely.
FROSTING
4 SQUARES UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE
½ CUP (1 STICK) BUTTER OR MARGARINE
½ CUP MILK
1 PACKAGE (1 POUND) 10X CONFECTIONERS SUGAR
2 TEASPOONS VANILLA
1. Melt chocolate and butter or margarine in a small saucepan over low heat.
2. Stir milk into sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in chocolate-butter mixture and vanilla. Beat with wooden spoon until mixture is thick and spreadable. To hasten thickening, put bowl in pan of ice and water while stirring, or refrigerate frosting until it begins to thicken.
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