Chocolate Fudge Cake

Let’s call it a comeback.  Due to issues beyond my control; my link to cyber-space was briefly interrupted.  Well world, guess what!  I am back and ready to take over.  Are you ready for me?!  

We are going to start the week with a chocolate punch in the face!  I promise you it doesn’t hurt, but that is how I would describe this chocolate, chocolate cake.  Everyone knows you don’t need a reason the make chocolate cake, but I did this time.  My father-in-law celebrated his 64^th birthday this week.  This man loves chocolate more than anyone I know!  So my goal was to make him the best, most, chocolatiest, ( I think I made that word up) cake ever! 

We all know, from previous posts that I am a huge fan of Nigella Lawson.  Anyone who is a huge fan of hers knows that she is absolutely fanatic about chocolate.  Nigella has chapters in her cookbooks devoted to all things chocolate.  So finding the fudgiest chocolate cake recipe in her cookbooks was a no-brainer!

Chocolate Fudge Cake comes from the “Nigella Bites” cookbook.  This cookbook was the first cookbook I bought of hers.  I discovered her while her show, “Nigella Bites” was on the Style Network.  Each recipe has a story and there are note pages at the ends of each chapter for the home cook to write down changes for recipes.  Nigella’s books are funny and informative and full of beautiful pictures.

This chocolate cake recipe is a cinch to make.  My father-in-law was surprised!  He loved it!  The rest of the family did too.  The key to this recipe is the dark chocolate.  The darker the chocolate, the more intense the chocolate flavor.  The cake itself has a nice mellow chocolate taste and the frosting hits the richness out of the park.  It was all agreed that this was the best chocolate cake ever!  Please try it!

Chocolate Fudge Cake

For the cake:

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1/3 cup light brown sugar

¼ cup best-quality cocoa powder (I use Dutch-processed)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

3 eggs

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sour cream

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

¾ cup butter, melted and cooled

½ cup corn oil (I use vegetable oil)

1 1/3 cups chilled water

For the Fudge Icing:

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter, softened

1 ¾ cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Butter and flour the bottom of two 8-inch cake pans.
3. In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugars, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
4. In another bowl whisk together the eggs, sour cream and vanilla until blended.
5. In a larger bowl and with a hand blender, or your brute arm strength, mix together the melted butter and vegetable oil until blended.  When it is well blended, add the chilled water and continue to mix.
6. Add the dry ingredients to the butter, water, and oil and mix on low spend until combined.
7. Add the sour cream, egg mixture and combine.
8. Pour evenly into the two baking pans and bake in the oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick is inserted in the center comes out clean. 
9. Completely cool before frosting.

To make the icing, melt the chocolate in the microwave in 1 minute intervals stirring so it melts evenly.  Let cool slightly. 

In another bowl beat the butter until it is soft and creamy.  Add the sifted confectioner’s sugar and beat again until everything is light and fluffy.  Sifting the confectioner’s sugar is important because it will ensure that the frosting has no lumps in it.  Then gently add that vanilla and the chocolate and mix together until everything is glossy and smooth.

Use about ¼ of the icing for the middle of the cake.  Top with second cake and ice the sides and the top.   Keep little fingers out of the frosting bowl for as long as you can. 

Enjoy!