Chocolate Cream Cake

*** For the RS dinner, she 1.5 times-ed the recipe, so there would be 3 layers instead of 2***

2 cups cake flour

1 ¼ cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda               

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup sour cream

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

2 squares (2 ounces) unsweetened chocolate,  melted and cooled

¼ cup hot water

1 ½ teaspoon vanilla

Chopped Nuts

In large bowl of mixer, stir together flour, sugar, soda and salt.  Add sour cream, butter and eggs.  Beat at low speed just until blended.  Then beat at medium speed w minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.  At low speed stir in chocolate.  Add water and beat at medium speed 2 minutes more, scraping bowl occasionally.  Stir in vanilla. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9 in layer cake pans.  Bake in preheated 350° oven about 25 to 30 minutes or until pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool on racks 10 minutes, then invert on racks, remove from pans. Turn layers top sides up and let cool.  Cut rounded tops of  cakes.  Fill with stabilized Whipping Cream between layers.  Frost with chocolate frosting.  Garnish with chopped nuts.

Stabilized Whipping Cream

1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin

¼ cup cold water

3 cups heavy whipping cream

¾ cup powdered sugar

1 ½ teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon almond extract (optional)

Combine gelatin with water in a small saucepan.  Let stand until thick.  Over low heat, stir constantly until just dissolved.  Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.  (It should still be liquid). Whip the cream, sugar, and vanilla until slightly thick in a large mixing bowl.  Turn mixer on low and gradually add the gelatin, then beat on high until the cream is thick. 

Chocolate Frosting

4 tablespoons cocoa

3 cups powdered sugar

4 tablespoons softened butter

2-3 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix cocoa and powdered sugar in missing bowl.  Add softened butter, milk and vanilla. Beat until smooth.

Chris Strong