2 c All-purpose flour
2 ts Baking soda
1/2 ts Salt
1/2 c Unsalted butter; softened
2 1/4 c Brown sugar, packed
3 Eggs
4 oz Bitter chocolate
Melted and cooled 1 1/2 ts Pure vanilla
1 c Sour cream
1 c Coffee=prepared very strong
This rich cake is from Mendocino’s CAFE BEAUJOLAIS. Chef Margaret Fox makes it for birthdays, and those adventuresome couples who want a chocolate wedding cake. It is usually served with Creme Fraiche Chocolate Frosting (recipe on separate post). Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Beat butter, sugar and eggs for 5 minutes in the bowl of an electric mixer until very light and fluffy. Beat in chocolate and vanilla. Stir in about 1/3 of the dry ingredients, half the sour cream, another 1/3 of the dry ingredients, the rest of the sour cream, and finally the remainder of the dry ingredients. Stir JUST until mixed. Stir in hot coffee, and pour into two 9 inch square pans greased and lined with waxed paper. Strike each pan on the edge of the counter or drop several times onto the floor from a height of 6 inches to release air bubbles. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Cool pans on a wire rack for
15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge, turn out, and
cool completely. Sharron Solomon —–