Week 16: Easy Chocolate Cake

In our home this week we have been preparing for a high school graduation, working on a senior paper and other school work, celebrating a birthday (Samuel turns 19 tomorrow and has requested Paula Deen's Not Yo' Momma's Banana Pudding) and cooking a lot of food. Tomorrow I leave for a Knitting Friends retreat and have been preparing food for four of the retreat meals.
I thought it would be nice to leave a cake for David and Samuel for the week-end and decided to try Martha Stewart's Easy Chocolate Cake. In the middle of all the other cooking I was doing the word EASY jumped out at me. It is easy, chocolaty, rich and so pretty and shiny.


Easy Chocolate Cake (Martha Stewart's Recipe)

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for pan
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch round cake pan; line bottom with wax paper. Butter paper; dust with cocoa powder, tapping out excess; set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture alternating with sour cream, starting and ending with the flour mixture.

Spread batter into prepared pan. Tap pan firmly on countertop several times to force out large air bubbles. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven, Cool 10 minutes in pan, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely (bottom side up). Set rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Pour glaze over; spread gently to coat entirely. Let stand until set. Garnish with chocolate shavings. Serve with whipped cream.

Chocolate Glaze Ingredients

• 4 ounces coarsely chopped semisweet chocolate
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 
  

Directions

1. Place chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream to a boil. Pour over chocolate; whisk until smooth. Let cool until thick yet pourable, 2 to 3 minutes.

Voila'!

Happy Baking!
Julie