Sour Cream Chocolate Layer 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 Chocolate Cream Filling between layers.  Frost with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.  Garnish with chopped nuts or chocolate sprinkes.

Chocolate Cream Filling

½ cup sugar

¼ cup flour

Dash of salt

1 cup milk

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 square (1 ounce) unsweetened chocolate

1 teaspoon vanilla

In small saucepan combine sugar, flour and salt.  Gradually beat in milk with whisk.  Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and smooth.  Remove from heat and beat in egg.  Return to low heat for 30 seconds while beating.  Add chocolate and beat until melted.  Beat in vanilla.  Remove from heat and place plastic wrap directly over top on filling to keep skin from forming.  Chill.  Stir before using.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

1 package (3 ounce) cream cheese, (softened)

2 tablespoons butter

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

2 ½ cups unsifted powdered sugar

2 tablespoons half and half

1 teaspoon vanilla

In small bowl of mixer, beat together cream cheese and butter until light and smooth.  Stir in chocolate and salt, add sugar alternately with half and half, beating thoroughly after each addition.  Stir in vanilla.

Chris Strong