Cake Recipes
Best-Loved Chocolate Cake
Yield: about 4 1/2 cups frosting; frosts tops and sides of three 8-inch cake layers
Ingredients
Cake
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups milk
Chocolate-Sour Cream Frosting (optional)
- 1 (12 ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 (8 ounce) carton dairy sour cream
- 4 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar (about 1 pound)
Instructions
- Cake: Let butter and eggs stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Lightly grease bottoms of three 8 x 1 1/2-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms of pans with wax paper. Grease and lightly flour bottoms and sides of pans.
- In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.
- Gradually add sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating on medium speed until combined (3 to 4 minutes).
- Scrape sides of bowl; continue beating on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition (about 1 minute total). Beat in vanilla extract.
- Alternately add flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Beat on medium to high speed for 20 seconds more.
- Spread batter evenly into the prepared pans.
- Bake in a 350 degrees F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near centers comes out clean.
- Cool in pan for 10 minutes.
- Remove from pans. Peel off wax paper. Cool thoroughly on racks.
- If desired, frost with Chocolate-Sour Cream Frosting; top with white and dark chocolate curls and candied nuts.
- Cover and store frosted cake in the refrigerator.
- Chocolate-Sour Cream Frosting: In a large saucepan melt chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring frequently.
- Cool for 5 minutes.
- Stir in sour cream.
- Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth.
Source: Better Homes and Garden advertising brochure