Chocolate Cake

 1 cup sugar 

2 cups flour 

¾ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

2 eggs, lightly beaten, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup light brown sugar

½ cup sour cream

FOR the CAKE: 

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Coat a 9×13″ pan with Crisco and then coat it with flour.

In a small saucepan heat 1 cup butter until melted on medium heat. Add 1 cup water and 1/2 Cup  cocoa powder and whisk until smooth, then bring to a boil and let boil for 30 seconds.  

Then set the pan to the side and let the mixture cool.

In a separate bowl sift together 2 Cup flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, and 3/4 tsp salt. Then add cooled chocolate mixture and stir until just combined and smooth. 

In a small separate bowl add 2 eggs, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp baking powder, and whisk until smooth. The mixture will start to foam, but that is normal.  

Stir in 1 cup brown sugar and 1 tsp vanilla and whisk until smooth Pour the egg mixture into the batter and gently stir until all are combined.

Fold 1/2 c sour cream into the batter gently. Don’t over-mix it.

Pour batter into the prepared pan & bake for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted and comes out with only a few crumbs. 

Let cool before frosting.

 TIP: If making a layered cake (this will make 2-8″ rounds), you can cover the layers with parchment paper then with a clean dish towel and place them right into the freezer. If you frost the layers frozen it makes it much easier.

OPTIONAL: If making layered cake:  

Chocolate Mousse 

1 cup chocolate chips I use semisweet

½ cup heavy whipping cream for melting chocolate chips

⅔ cup chilled heavy whipping cream for whipping

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

s and ½ cup cream until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. I do this in the microwave in 20 seconds increments, stirring well between each. Set aside to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally (this took about 15 minutes).

In the bowl of a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat ⅔ cups chilled cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form (see note about making extra for topping). Transfer the whipped cream to the refrigerator until the chocolate has cooled to room temperature.

Using a rubber/silicone spatula, fold* the whipped cream into the melted chocolate. Once fully combined, transfer the mousse into individual serving dishes and chill for at least 2 hours. The colder it is, the more firm it will be. If you'd like it softer you can leave it at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving.

Frosting:

Chocolate Ganache

two 4-ounce quality semi-sweet chocolate bars (113g each), finely chopped

1 cup (240ml) heavy cream or heavy whipping cream

Instructions

Place chopped chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to gently simmer. (Do not let it come to a rapid boil—that’s too hot!) Pour over chocolate, then let it sit for 2–3 minutes to gently soften the chocolate.

With a metal spoon or small rubber spatula, very slowly stir until completely combined and chocolate has melted. The finer you chopped the chocolate, the quicker it will melt with the cream. If it’s not melting, do not microwave it. See Troubleshooting Chocolate Ganache in blog post above.

Ganache can be ready to use as a drizzle or you can let it sit at room temperature to cool and thicken. It will fully cool within 2 hours. Refrigerating speeds this up, but the ganache will not cool evenly. Stir it a few times as it sets in the refrigerator so it remains even and smooth.

Once completely cool and thick, the ganache can be piped with a piping tip or scooped with a spoon. You can also beat the cooled thickened ganache with a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until light in color and texture, about 4 minutes on medium-high speed.

Cover tightly and store ganache in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Once ganache cools completely, you can cover it tightly and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator. To rewarm or thin out again, stir constantly over low heat on the stove in either (1) a double boiler or (2) in a heat-proof bowl placed over a pot of simmering water. Don’t let the bottom of the bowl touch the simmering water.