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Crowd-pleaser chocolate cake

 
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Photography by Brett Stevens. Food styling by Kristen Wilson
Photography by Brett Stevens. Food styling by Kristen Wilson

Serving size: Serves 10 or more
Cooking time: More than 2 hours
Course: Dessert, Snacks
Favourite flavours: Cakes/baking, Chocolate

Crowd-pleaser chocolate cake
INGREDIENTS

200g dark chocolate, chopped finely
1/3 cup (35g) cocoa powder
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 1/3 cups (330ml) boiling water
250g butter, softened
1¾ cups (385g) firmly packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 cup (150g) plain flour
2 cups (300g) self-raising flour
2/3 cup (160ml) sour cream, at room temperature
fresh flowers, to decorate, optional

sour cream frosting
375g dark chocolate, melted
¾ cup (180ml) sour cream
1½ cups (240g) pure icing sugar, sifted
METHOD

Place chocolate, cocoa and soda in a medium bowl; pour the boiling water over, stand mixture for 2 minutes. Whisk chocolate mixture until smooth; refrigerate until lukewarm.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 160°C (140°C fan-forced). Grease a 28cm round cake pan and line the base with baking paper.

Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Fold in half the cooled chocolate mixture, then combined sifted flours. Fold in remaining chocolate mixture, then the sour cream (do not overmix).

Pour mixture into the prepared pan; smooth the top. Bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes or until cooked when tested. Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.

Sour cream frosting
Combine chocolate and sour cream in a medium bowl. Gradually stir in icing sugar; mix until smooth and spreadable.

Split the cooled cake into 2 layers. Place bottom layer, cut-side up, on a serving plate. Spread with 1/3 of the Sour Cream Frosting. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread top and sides with remaining frosting. Decorate with fresh flowers, if desired.
 
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User comments
As the saying goes, "The icing is on the cake." I think that Australia has become too Americanised with our vocabulary. Currently, I believe, the word translation from frosting (American) is still, "icing." Can, "icing" please be used instead of the American, "frosting." After all, icing sugar is usually used in the recipe. Not, "frosting sugar."
Did you mean Cream Cheese?.... I can't imagine cottage cheese icing..but if I'm wrong, please share...
i think either cottage cheese icing works best

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