Devil’s Food Cake (BAKING)

By hmp13

Makes 2 round layer cakes (9 by 1 inch) or 1 round layer cake (9 by 2 inches)
This rich, deeply flavored cake can be frosted with chocolate frosting, such as buttercream or whipped ganache, to reinforce the chocolate effect, or a contrasting frosting, such as a kirsch flavored buttercream, white chocolate mousse, white chocolate whipped ganache, or mousseline, to balance the chocolate.

Ingredients

• Butter and flour for the cake pans
• 1 cup cake flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, sliced, at room temperature
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 eggs

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350. Butter and flour one or two 9 inch cake pans.

In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Combine the butter, chocolate and sour cream in a heat proof bowl and place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until smooth; remove from the heat as soon as the chocolate has melted.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs until smooth. Stir the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Sift the dry ingredients over the chocolate-egg mixture while folding with a rubber spatula.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pans. Bake 1 inch thick cakes for about 25 minutes or a 2 inch thick cake for about 40 minutes, or until the cakes spring back to the touch or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool for 5 minutes and turn them out onto a cake rack. Frost as suggested above.