Chocolate Sour Cream Cake

This is the cake I made for Anthony's birthday this year and I'm tellin' you, it was yummy!  It's definitely a must try.  It was another of those recipes that I've been meaning to make for several years now but never built up enough courage to actually try it.  Layer cakes were too complicated, or so I thought. 

But I discovered that they really aren't that complicated. 

The only thing I would change is I would pull it out of the fridge earlier than I did.  I made the cake the day before we would be eating it and because of the sour cream in the cake itself and the frosting, I put it in the fridge.  Only a few hours before devouring it did I pull it out.  It was still very good but after it had sat out for even a few hours after that, it tasted a hundred thousand times better!  It seemed drier when it was still slightly chilled.  Once it came completely to room temperature, it was super moist and delicious!  Trust me on this, eat it at room temperature!!

Cake:
1 c. baking cocoa
1 c. boiling water
1 c. butter, softened
2 1/2 c. sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
3 c. cake flour** (see notes below)
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. sour cream

Boil water and dissolve cocoa in it.  Let stand to cool. 

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy in a large bowl.  Add eggs, one at a time.  Beat after addition of each egg.  Add vanilla.

In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Add a small amount to creamed mixture, add small amount of sour cream... alternating until dry mixture and sour cream are all incorporated.  Beat well.  Add cooled cocoa mixture and beat well. 

Pour batter into three greased and floured round baking pans (9 inch).  Bake at 350' for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 

Cool for 10 minutes.  Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. 

**Note:  If you do not have cake flour on hand, you may substitute with all-purpose flour.  For every cup of cake flour called for in a recipe, measure one cup all-purpose flour minus two tablespoons.  (Or 3/4 cup plus two tablespoons.)


Frosting:
2 c. (12 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. butter
1 c. sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
4 1/2 - 5 c. powdered sugar

Melt chocolate chips and butter over low heat in heavy saucepan.  Stir until smooth.  Remove from heat and cool for five minutes.  Place in mixing bowl and add sour cream and vanilla.  Beat until blended.  Now add powdered sugar.  Beat until light and fluffy.  Spread between layers by putting large amount in the center of each layer and spreading outward to the edges.  Then frost the top and sides. 

Store in the refrigerator (but remember to pull it out EARLY!)

Recipe Source:  The Taste of Home Cookbook