Death by Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 cp sour cream
  • 1/4 cp butter
  • 1 1-oz square unsweetened chocolate
  • 1 cp sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cp sifted cake flour
  • 1/2 cup hot water
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Add baking soda to sour cream, set aside. Melt butter and chocolate, stirring constantly. Beat sugar and egg thoroughly.
Add sour cream and soda, mixing well. Blend in butter and chocolate. Gradually add flour, mixing well after each addition. Add hot water and vanilla, blending quickly but thoroughly.
Turn into greased and floured 8x8 in pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 min.

Death by Chocolate Frosting:

Ingredients:

Directions:
Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla and almond extract. About 2 cups frosting.

I generally make about 3-4 times this amount, and make layer cakes.
Bake your cakes in round pans. When they cool, cut the top crust so the surface is flat. Eat the top crust, preferably with vanilla ice cream.
Spread the cut surfaces with apricot preserves. Place one layer on a plate, with the cut side up. Spread a generous amount of frosting over the top, then place the other layer on top of the frosting with the cut side down. Press down firmly, then cover with the remaining frosting.
Refrigerate, serve when needed. This cake also freezes nicely.