100 Recipes You'll Make Forever

MAKES: 16 servings TESTED by: Sammy M.

091 Chocolate Sour Cream Cake with Fudgy Frosting

TASTING COMMENTS:

No one likes a dry cake. The goal was to make a moist AND tender version. The sour cream helped with the moisture, but the key to tenderness was beating the sugar and shortening together at least 3 minutes. I set a timer to make sure I didn’t skimp on the time!—SM

Prep 45 minutes stand 30 minutes bake 25 minutes at 350°F cool 2 hours

1½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for pan
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
½ cup shortening
1¼ cups sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1 8-oz. carton sour cream
1 cup milk
1 recipe Fudgy Frosting (see recipe)

Chop the chocolate and heat it in a small heavy saucepan over low, stirring constantly, just until it begins to melt. Take it off the heat and keep stirring until smooth. Be sure all of your equipment is dry—just a drop of water can cause the chocolate to seize up!

1. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans or grease and coat with cocoa powder. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a small bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large mixing bowl beat shortening and sugar with mixer on medium until light, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until combined. Beat in melted chocolate and sour cream. Add about one-third of the flour mixture; beat on low speed just until combined. Add half of the milk; beat just until combined. Repeat to add the remaining flour mixture and milk, ending with the flour mixture. Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans. Using a small offset metal spatula or a rubber spatula, smooth top of batter in each pan.

3. Bake about 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near centers comes out clean. Cool cake layers in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Using a small metal spatula, loosen sides of each cake layer. Place a wire rack on top of one pan; carefully invert pan with rack (use pot holders to protect your hands). Lift pan off cake layer. Repeat with the remaining cake layer. Cool cake layers on wire racks about 2 hours or until completely cool.

4. To assemble cake, place one cake layer, flat side down, on a serving plate. Spread top of this cake layer with 1 cup of the Fudgy Frosting. Place second cake layer, flat side down, on top of the frosting. Spread top and sides with the remaining Fudgy Frosting.

Per serving 555 cal., 27 g fat (14 g sat. fat), 56 mg chol., 201 mg sodium, 77 g carb., 2 g fiber, 63 g sugars, 4 g pro.

Chocolate Sour Cream Cake with Fudgy Frosting

TESTING NOTES

1. Grease two 9-inch cake pans with butter or shortening. Sprinkle about 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder or flour into each pan. While holding a pan with one hand, use the other to tap the pan and move the flour or cocoa powder around until it covers the bottom and sides.

2. Beat the shortening and sugar on medium speed until light, about 5 minutes. It’s the most important step when making a shortened (or creamed) cake. Tiny air bubbles are created and trapped in the mixture, acting as a leavener along with the baking powder and baking soda. Preserving these bubbles is essential to having a light and fluffy crumb after baking.

3. Beat on low only as long as it takes to combine each addition of wet and dry ingredients. Overmixing will pop the bubbles and leave you with a flat, dense cake. It will also start to develop the gluten in the flour, leaving you with a tough, rubbery cake.

4. Measure the finished amount of batter. This will tell you exactly how much to put in each pan. An even amount in each pan results in even layers for the finished cake. A small offset spatula is the best tool for spreading the batter in each pan and for smoothing the tops of the cakes. This helps the cakes bake evenly.

5. To test the doneness of the cake, at the minimum baking time poke a toothpick into the center of each cake. If it comes out clean, the cakes are finished. When gently touched with your finger, the top of the cake should spring back.

make a cake any size you want This recipe is super versatile. We tested different sizes of cake for accurate bake times. You can make one large cake or your favorite-size cupcakes. Grease the pans and dust with cocoa powder or add paper cupcake liners to the cupcake pan.

Jumbo 3½-inch cupcakes, 22 to 25 minutes

If you want a very even layer cake, trim the rounded top of the bottom layer with a serrated knife so it will sit level when stacked.