When contemplating dessert for a family celebration, chocolate, much like cream, rises to the top. Of course it makes the chocoholics happy and it’s a good idea to give them a fix every now and then, but even non-dessert lovers can become enthused at the sight of a majestic, rich with butter and sour cream chocolate cake. So, for my husband Rick’s birthday last week, I decided to go for chocolate and adapt an already chocolatey rich cake recipe with enough chocolate to make even the most ardent dessert lovers cry uncle. To make matters even more interesting, I topped off the 8 ounces of unsweetened chocolate in this cake with a touch of “likker” in the form of Southern Comfort which makes this chocolate tower of a cake even more luscious.
The cake was a hit with an added bonus. The intense flames from the 55 burning candles melted the bittersweet chocolate garnish a bit…which wasn’t a bad thing at all.
Kitchen Counter Point: The next time you ice a cake, borrow a technique from the pros that will keep your cake stand clean and neat. Cut triangles of parchment paper and slide the long side of each piece under the bottom cake layer so that the cake stand is covered. Use an offset spatula to ice the cake. It is ever so much easier to use than a butter knife and you will love, love, love your new tool. Turn out a large blob of icing on top of the cake and smooth it to the edges, leaving a thick layer of icing extending over the perimeter of the cake. Smooth the excess icing down the sides adding more icing to cover. When finished, pull the parchment away from the cake, et voila, a picture perfect cake.
Makes 1 double layer 9-inch cake serving 12
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons Southern Comfort
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup unsalted butter
5 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon Southern Comfort
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
One 4-ounce bar bittersweet chocolate, chopped for garnish
Preheat oven to 350ºF
Two 9-inch round metal cake pans greased and lined with greased and floured parchment paper
In a large bowl combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and baking soda and whisk until combined.
In a medium heat proof bowl set over simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter, stirring until completely melted. Remove the bowl from the pan and set aside to cool.
In a mixer bowl, combine the sugar and sour cream and beat on medium until combined. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until blended. Add the milk, Southern Comfort, vanilla and melted chocolate mixture and blend.
Add the dry ingredients by the cupful and mix on low speed until incorporated. Turn the mixer to medium speed and mix for 2 minutes or until the batter is smooth.
Divide the batter among the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake in the middle of the preheated oven for about 35 to 40 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean and the edges of the cake begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Let cool on racks for about 5 minutes, then invert onto racks, peel off paper and let cool completely.
To prepare the frosting, melt the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl over simmering water, stirring until melted. Remove from the heat and add the confectioners sugar, sour cream, Southern Comfort, vanilla and salt. Beat on medium speed until glossy, adding more confectioner’s sugar if too thin or milk if too thick a spreading consistency.
To assemble, place one cake layer, flat side up on a cake stand and spread approximately 1 cup of the frosting over the top. Add the remaining cake layer, flat side up, and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle the chocolate over the top. The cake keeps covered at room temperature for 2 days.