Ding Ding Ding!!!

We have a winner. :-)

Can you tell I am smiling?

After just 6 attempts, I have found my chocolate cake. Oh, is this one good. I admit that I was getting a little discouraged with the recipes I was finding. It did not make sense to me that there was no such thing as a true chocolate cake. Not only flavor wise, but texture wise as well. I had all but given up, and had planned a trip to the library today to pick up The Cake Mix Doctor. I had been so determined to stay away from a cake mix cake, simply because they don't hold up well to fillings and frostings. But after spending a bit of time researching different cake recipes, I am proud to say that I have created my own chocolatey and fudgey cake.
I started with a Baker's One Bowl Cake, which I liked the texture of. Then I added both cocoa and espresso powder to give it depth of flvaor. That was good, but slightly dryer than I wanted, and texture-wise, I didn't think it would hold up well to filling. So today I made even more changes. I added an extra egg, as well as sour cream. I love sour cream cakes, and I thought that would be a fine addition. My last change was to use all-purpose instead of the cake flour I had been using. And Bingo! I have a winner. The only thing I might change yet is the liquid in the recipe. I am currently using 1 cup of water. Well, in my mind that is one cup of no flavor, so that might change. My original thought had been to use buttermilk, but I think that would compete with the sour cream, so I may just use milk. Of course, it's great like it is, so we'll see if I make the change. Until then, I am thrilled to share the recipe.


Erika's True Chocolate Cake

8 ounces good quality semisweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli)
3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks)
1 1/2 cups Baker's Sugar (superfine)(plain would be okay too)
4 whole eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1/2 cup sour cream (I used low fat)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (again, I used Ghirardelli)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 cup water

Preheat oven to 350.
Melt the chocolate chips and the butter together (about 1:30 in the microwave). Add the sugar, and mix well. Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring thoroughly with each one. Add the vanilla, espresso powder, and the sour cream. Next add the cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Stir well. Add 1 cup of the flour, stir well. Add the water, and again, mix well. Finally, add the remaining cup of flour.

Pour into a greased 9x13 cake pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the middle comes out clean. Cool completely before cutting into.