Deep chocolate flavor with a slight tang from sour cream. The recipe uses oil rather than butter, for a lighter crumb.
Prep Time30 minutesmins
Cook Time30 minutesmins
Assembly15 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Sour Cream Chocolate Cake
Servings: 12Servings
Author: Don Herman
Ingredients
For the Cake
2 2/3cupsAll-Purpose Flour
2 2/3tspBaking Powder
1/2tspSalt
2 1/2cupsBrown Sugar
5lgEggs
3/4cupCocoa Powder
3/4cupCanola oil
2tspVanillaI used vanilla paste
3/4cupMilk
1cupSour cream
For the Chocolate Mousse Filling
1/2cupBoiling Water
4tbspUnsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 1/2cupsSemi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
2cupsHeavy Whipping Cream
2tbspPowdered Sugar
For the Frosting
1/2cupButtersoftened
3ozUnsweetened Chocolatechopped
3ozSemi-sweet Chocolatechopped, or use chips
2tspVanilla
4cupsPowdered Sugar
1cupSour Creamdivided
Instructions
For the Cake
Preheat your oven to 350F. Use an oven thermometer to test your oven - thermostats on ovens are notoriously inaccurate.
Bloom your cocoa in warm oil. Place the oil in a microwave-safe boil and heat it for one minute in the microwave. This should bring it to about 200F - use a candy thermometer if you're not sure. Stir in the cocoa powder to dissolve, then let it cool (I put it in the fridge while I prep the rest of the batter.)
In a medium bowl (not the mixing bowl), whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
In a mixing bowl with whisk attachment, add the eggs one at a time to break up the yolks, then whisk on medium-high to pale yellow and foamy - about two minutes.
Add the sugar and mix to dissolve. Slowly add cooled oil with cocoa and combine. (Hot oil will cook your eggs! Make sure it's cool.) Finally, add the vanilla and combine.
Switch to a paddle attachment. Starting with the flour, add 1/3 of the flour to the bowl and alternate with the milk, ending with flour. Gently mix in the sour cream just until blended.
Pour the batter into your prepared pans (I use a scale to divide the batter evenly). Bake for 30 minutes, testing at 25. A toothpick inserted in the center of the cake should come out clean, with just a few, cooked crumbs.
Remove and cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Invert and remove from pan to cool completely.
For the Chocolate Mousse Filling
Bloom the cocoa by combining it with the hot water and stirring until smooth.
Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler or in the microwave. Stir until smooth. Add the bloomed cocoa and stir until smooth again. Let this mixture cool.
Fold your whipped cream gently into the cooled chocolate, preserving as much of the air as you can.
Refrigerate until time to frost the cooled cake.
For the Frosting
Melt butter and chocolate in a bowl suspended over a pan of boiling water, stirring constantly with a spatula until the butter and chocolate melt and blend.
Transfer to a very lightly oiled mixing bowl. Add 2 cups of sugar and vanilla and blend.
Add half the sour cream and blend. Add the remaining sugar and whip for 2 minutes. If necessary, add additional sour cream by heaping teaspoons until you reach a spreadable consistency.
Lay the bottom layer on a serving platter. Place 1/3 of the mousse and spread to within 1/2" of the edge. Place the next layer (which would be the top of the separated layer) and repeat. Repeat with the bottom of the second cake. Then place the top layer and press slightly to set the layers evenly.
Using an offset spatula, spread the Chocolate Sour Cream frosting on the sides of the cake in an even layer, turning the cake as you go. Once the sides are well-coated, cover the top of the cake. I piped a few chocolate mounds around the edge with the leftover frosting.