Super Chocolate Chiffon Cake
serves 4-6
The tenderest chocolate layer of my childhood was a chiffon layer made with buttermilk. Today, buttermilk is thin and lacking in tang even when I leave it hanging around the refrigerator for a few days. To come up with an equally good—perhaps better—result I have turned to sour cream.
This recipe is part of The Barbara Kafka Dessert Anthology.
Chocolate icing
8 ounces unsweetened chocolate
3 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/2 cup strong coffee
8 eggs, separated
Cake:
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate
3/4 cup water
2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups (14 ounces by weight) granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons real vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sour cream
prep: 1 hour
total: 3 hours 40 minutes, includes chill times
grater
several mixing bowls
double boiler
whisk
2 (9-inch-round, 2-inch-deep) cake pans
parchment or wax paper
electric mixer
wire rack
three skewers
1. First make the icing so that it has time to cool and thicken: I usually melt the chocolate right in its paper in the microwave oven and then put in a bowl and beat in the coffee and half of the sugar. The following is a more conventional method. Grate the chocolate and put in the top of a double boiler with the coffee. Cook over very low heat until the chocolate is melted. Remove from heat and beat in half the sugar. Continue beating until room temperature.
2. Beat egg yolks and remaining sugar until smooth. Add chocolate mixture and beat until smooth.
3. Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold into the chocolate mixture. The result may seem thin. Cool completely in the refrigerator.
4. To make the layers: Line the bottoms of two 9-inch round, 2-inch deep cake pans with parchment or waxed paper. Do not grease the pans. Combine chocolate with water in the top of a double boiler. Melt over hot, not boiling, water. Remove from heat and reserve. Sift flour with baking soda and salt. Reserve.
5. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and melted chocolate, stirring until just combined.
6. Preheat oven to 350F, with the rack in the center.
7. Mix in one third of the flour mixture into chocolate mixture until smooth. Add one half of the sour cream and beat until smooth. Repeat with remaining flour and sour cream ending with flour.
8. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the layers comes out clean. Let the layers cool in the pans on a wire rack for 8 minutes.
9. Turn layers onto the rack and allow to cool to room temperature. Fill and ice.
10. To ice, cut wax paper in 3-inch-wide strips. Make a circle around the edge of the serving dish. Place one layer smooth side up on paper. Spread a layer of icing a good inch thick on top of layer. Gently, place second layer smooth side up on top of icing. If you have some bamboo skewers stick three in to hold layers in place. Allow to set in refrigerator for 1 hour. Remove from refrigerator and spread remaining icing on top and sides of cake. Replace in refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Remove skewers and gently pull strips of paper from under cake.
