This is without a doubt the closest to a no fail chocolate cake recipe as there is. I was at a food show in New York and Rose Levy Beranbaum, Carole Walter, and Nick Malgieri all made this cake. For expert results, use cake flour an super fine sugar.
Serves 12 to 16 when frosted
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup hot strong brewed coffee or 5 teaspoons instant coffee powder dissolved in 1 cup hot water
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten with a fork, at room temperature
Preheat the oven to 345 degrees. Lightly grease two 8 inch layer cake pans with vegetable oil or butter, or line them with parchment circles or inserts.
Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler placed over simmering water, then turn off the heat.
Sift the sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt together into a large mixing bowl.
In a separate bowl, blend the hot coffee, sour cream, and vegetable oil with a whisk.
With the mixer on low speed, add the coffee mixture in a stream to the dry ingredients and mix until blended, about 35 seconds. Stop the mixer to scrape the bowl several times with a rubber spatula.
Add the eggs one at a time and mix on medium-low speed after each addition until smooth, about 15 seconds. Scrape the bowl each time. Add the chocolate and mix until the batter is uniform in color, about 10 seconds more.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and place them on the center rack of the oven.
Bake until the cake springs back to the touch and a tester inserted in the center comes out dry (do not wait for a crust to form), 35 to 38 minutes.
Cool the layers in the pans on a rack before frosting.
Fudge Frosting
Makes 1 3/4 cups, enough to fill and frost a two-layer cake
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler placed over simmering water. Cool slightly.
Blend the evaporated milk and sugar in a blender on medium speed for 2 seconds.
Add the chocolate to the sugar mixture in the blender and blend on high speed until the frosting is thick and shiny, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. The mixers sound will change when the frosting has thickened.
Spoon the frosting into a bowl and allow it to set at room temperature for 30 minutes. Then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the frosting to set for 1 hour more before frosting. Do no refrigerate the frosting, even if you dont plan to use it for several days.
Note: This recipe can only be made in a blender.
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