Big 'Ol Chocolate Cake
appeared in The Sunday Oregonian, Taste Makers, September 2002
Adapted from Jeanne Subotnick, Chez Shakers
This recipe is recommended for the beginning-plus to intermediate cook.
Three cheers for Jeanne Subotnick's Big Ol' Chocolate Cake. It is one of the truly great chocolate cake recipes. This recipe makes a delicious double-layer 9-inch cake with frosting.
Serves 10 to 12
For the cake:
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 eggs
4 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) chocolate, melted and cooled
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream (not light or fat-free)
1 cup brewed coffee, strong and hot
For the frosting:
3 ounces (3 squares) unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter, cooled
1 pound (1 box) powdered sugar
3 tablespoons cream
2 tablespoons brewed coffee, strong and cool
1/2 tablespoon flavoring, such as vanilla, peppermint, coffee or hazelnut liquor
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with waxed or parchment paper. Grease and flour the topside of the paper, and set aside.
To make the cake: Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a mixing bowl.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar together until well combined, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well blended, continuing to beat for 1 minute after the third egg is added. On low speed, beat in the melted chocolate and vanilla. Alternately stir in one third of the flour mixture and one third of the sour cream, wiping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, until just blended. On low speed, slowly pour in the hot coffee until blended. Use a spatula to stir and test that the batter is blended.
Divide the batter between the prepared pans, using a spatula to evenly spread the batter. Smack the pans down on the counter, once or twice, to release any air bubbles. Next, gently rotate the pans to settle and level the batter. Bake until the cakes are springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Do not overbake. Let the cake layers cool in their pans for 25 minutes. Gently loosen the edges with a thin knife before inverting the layers onto wire racks. Let the cakes cool thoroughly before frosting
To make the frosting: In a food processor with a steel blade, process the chocolate, butter, sugar, cream, coffee and flavoring until smooth and spreadable. If the frosting is too thick, slowly blend in more cream or coffee, 1 tablespoon at a time. (Or, use an electric mixer set on medium speed to blend the ingredients.)
To assemble the cake, place a dollop of frosting in the middle of your serving platter. Place the bottom cake layer on the platter, topside down. Using a narrow metal spatula, spread a third of the frosting over the bottom layer of the cake. Place the remaining layer on top. Spread and swirl a thick layer of frosting over the top of the cake.