1 cup boiling water
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
8 tablespoons butter (unsalted)
Pour the water over the latter 2 ingredients and let sit till all is melted. Stir gently.
Add:
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups granulated sugar
Separate:
2 eggs
Whip whites till they have stiff peaks. Add the yolks to the mixture above.
Set the whites aside.
Mix separately:
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon baking soda
Also mix:
2 cups (less 2 tablespoons) flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Add the sour cream and flour mixtures alternately, blending nicely.
Fold in egg whites.
Pour batter into greased and floured 10" tube pan. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and then tump out onto a plate and ice when cool.
This is from the Silver Palate Cookbook - same cookbook as the Chili I make. Sometimes we flavor it with mint, a big hit at our house.
Icing:
2 tablespoons sweet butter
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
6 tablespoons heavy cream (I use anything from skim milk up)
1 1/4 cup XXX sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
I often approximate the above - I carefully melt the first 3 ingredients in the microwave, although a double boiler is recommended. And again, sometimes we do mint flavoring.
Lots of calories and lots of compliments!
