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
From
Yields
1 Servings