I just made this a few days ago and it's great!
Note: The 1 1/2 cups of sugar in this recipe is much too little in proportion to the 4 oz unsweetened chocolate and 3/4 cup cocoa. I believe it's a typo, and probably should have read 2 1/2 cups. I used 2 1/4 cups, and it was very deep dark chocolatey. I also added 1 tsp of instant espresso powder to the batter.
DOUBLE-LAYER CHOCOLATE CAKE
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup (1/4 lb.) butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar (I used 2 1/4 cups - half light brown and half dark brown)
3 large eggs
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted *(see note below)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
3/4 cup sour cream (I used nonfat plain yogurt)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. (I buttered parchment paper and dusted with cocoa powder).
2. In a bowl, with a mixer on medium speed, beat butter and brown sugar until blended (I beat until light and fluffy). Beat in eggs. Add melted chocolate and vanilla; beat until combined.
3 . In another bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl, mix milk and sour cream.
4. Add flour mixture and milk mixture alternately to butter mixture, about a third of each at a time, beating after each addition until incorporated (batter will be very thick). Scrape batter equally into prepared pans and spread level.
5. Bake in a regular or convection oven until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. (I baked about 30 minutes in a regular oven). Cool on racks in pans for 10 minutes, then invert cakes onto racks and remove pans. (I inverted onto cake rounds, and cooled on racks). Cool completely before frosting. (I frosted with a dark chocolate ganache).
Yield: Makes Two 9-inch cake layers; 12 to 16 servings
*Note: To melt the chocolate, break it into small pieces and place in a small microwave-safe bowl; cook in a microwave oven at half power (50%), stirring occasionally, until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. (I used a double boiler).
Edited from Sunset Magazine, JUNE 2003
Note: The 1 1/2 cups of sugar in this recipe is much too little in proportion to the 4 oz unsweetened chocolate and 3/4 cup cocoa. I believe it's a typo, and probably should have read 2 1/2 cups. I used 2 1/4 cups, and it was very deep dark chocolatey. I also added 1 tsp of instant espresso powder to the batter.
DOUBLE-LAYER CHOCOLATE CAKE
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup (1/4 lb.) butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar (I used 2 1/4 cups - half light brown and half dark brown)
3 large eggs
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted *(see note below)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
3/4 cup sour cream (I used nonfat plain yogurt)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. (I buttered parchment paper and dusted with cocoa powder).
2. In a bowl, with a mixer on medium speed, beat butter and brown sugar until blended (I beat until light and fluffy). Beat in eggs. Add melted chocolate and vanilla; beat until combined.
3 . In another bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl, mix milk and sour cream.
4. Add flour mixture and milk mixture alternately to butter mixture, about a third of each at a time, beating after each addition until incorporated (batter will be very thick). Scrape batter equally into prepared pans and spread level.
5. Bake in a regular or convection oven until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. (I baked about 30 minutes in a regular oven). Cool on racks in pans for 10 minutes, then invert cakes onto racks and remove pans. (I inverted onto cake rounds, and cooled on racks). Cool completely before frosting. (I frosted with a dark chocolate ganache).
Yield: Makes Two 9-inch cake layers; 12 to 16 servings
*Note: To melt the chocolate, break it into small pieces and place in a small microwave-safe bowl; cook in a microwave oven at half power (50%), stirring occasionally, until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. (I used a double boiler).
Edited from Sunset Magazine, JUNE 2003