Chocolate Fudge Cake

It was my hubby’s birthday yesterday and as usual I started my baking plans well in advance…. The most confusing part was which cake to bake… Finally I decided on this Chocolate Fudge Cake from a cook book I have…..but instead of simply filling and spreading the icing on the cake I decided to do ruffle icing an idea I got from Amanda’s site… It was so easy to do this icing… only thing is that it requires a lot of icing, so I decided to fill the cake only with a thin layer of icing….. An ultimate birthday cake that all of us enjoyed very much!

Chocolate Fudge Cake
(Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens "Cooking for Today Cakes")
Serves- 12
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ cup butter
1 ½ cup granulated sugar
½ tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs
3 oz (85gms) unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
** ½ cup dairy sour cream (refer note)
**1 cup cold water (refer note)

Method:

• Grease and lightly flour two 8 or 9 inch round baking pans.
• Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixture till softened, add sugar and vanilla; beat till combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in cooled chocolate and sour cream. Alternately add flour mixture and cold water, beating on low to medium speed after each addition just till combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
• Bake in a 350F / 180C oven for 25 to 30 minutes or till a wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool completely on wire racks. Fill and frost cake with Sour Cream- Fudge Frosting.

**Note: 

• Instead of water I used strong dark coffee (1 tbsp instant coffee powder mixed in 1 cup water); thus my cake is in dark black colour.
• To make sour cream, place 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar, in a measuring cup and add enough whipping cream to make 1 cup. 

Sour Cream- Fudge Frosting
Ingredients:
3 ounces (85gm) unsweetened chocolate
½ cup margarine or butter
* ½ cup dairy sour cream (refer above note)
1 tsp vanilla essence
3 cups sifted powdered sugar

Method:

• In a medium saucepan melt unsweetened chocolate and margarine or butter over low heat. Remove from heat; cool. Stir in dairy sour cream and vanilla essence. Gradually add sifted powdered sugar, beating till smooth and spreading consistency.

Notes:

• You may need a little more frosting than the original recipe if you are doing the ruffle icing.
• Check this video to get an idea of how to do the ruffle icing.
• If you don’t have sour cream, place 1 tsp lemon juice in a measuring cup and add enough cream to equal ½ cup.