1 3/4 c Sifted all purpose flour
3/4 c Unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ts Baking soda
1/4 ts Salt
2 lg Eggs
2 c Sugar
1/2 c ( 1 stick) unsalted butter,
-cut into 4 pieces, room
-temperature
2 ts Vanilla extract
1 c Buttermilk
5 1/2 oz Semisweet chocolate,
-coarsely chopped
1/2 c Plus 3 tablespoons unsalted
-butter, cut into small
-pieces
4 c Powdered sugar (about 1
-pound)
1 tb Unsweetened cocoa powder
-Pinch of salt
1 tb Plus
1 ts Vanilla extract
7 To 8 tablespoons sour
-cream
Have a piece of this cake with a cold glass of milk, and you ‘re a
kid all over again. Cake
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350”F. Butter three
9-inch diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line pan
bottoms with parchment or waxed paper. Butter paper. Dust pans with
flour; tap out excess.
For cake: Insert Steel Knife. Place flour, cocoa, baking soda and
salt in work bowl. Process to “sift,” about 5 seconds. Transfer
contents of work bowl to large sheet of waxed paper.
Place eggs, then sugar into work bowl. Process until mixture is thick,
about 1 minute. Add butter and vanilla. Process until mixture is
fluffy, stopping to scrape down sides of work bowl, about 1 minute.
Mix dry ingredients into egg mixture alternately with buttermilk in
about 3 additions each, pulsing just to combine each addition.
Divide batter evenly among prepared pans (about 1% cups in each). Bake
until tester inserted in center of cakes comes out clean, about 24
minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 10 minutes. Run small sharp
knife around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn out onto rack. Peel off
paper. Cool.
For frosting: Melt chocolate and butter in heavy small saucepan over
low heat, stirring until smooth. (Or to microwave: Place chocolate
and butter in 4-cup microwave-safe bowl. Cook uncovered on High 1
minute. Stir well. Cook on High until almost melted, about 30 seconds
longer. Stir until chocolate mixture is smooth.)
Steel Knife: Place powdered sugar, cocoa and salt in work bowl.
Process to “sift,” about 5 seconds. Add chocolate mixture and
vanilla. Process until just combined, about 5 seconds. Add 4
tablespoons sour cream. Process to blend, about 8 seconds. Scrape
down sides of work bowl. Thin to spreadable consistency by adding
enough remaining sour cream by tablespoons, processing to blend after
each addition.
Place 1 cake layer on serving platter. Spread with 3/4 Cup frosting.
Top with second cake layer. Spread with 3/4 Cup frosting. Top with
third cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of
cake. (Can be prepared I day ahead. Refrigerate until frosting is
firm, then cover and keep refrigerated. Bring to room temperature
before serving.)
12 servings
From the files of Al Rice, North Pole Alaska. Feb 1994
Yields
1 Servings