Decadent Chocolate Cake

Servings: 12
Ingredients:

1 c  Boiling water
3 oz Unsweetened chocolate
8 tb Sweet butter (1 stick)
1 ts Vanilla
2 c  Sugar
2    Eggs, separated
1 ts Baking soda
1/2 c  Sour cream
2 c  Less 2 T flour
1 ts Baking powder
Chocolate frosting*
*see below

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 10′ tube pan.

2. Pour boiling water over chocolate and butter; let stand until
melted. Stir in vanilla and sugar, then whisk in egg yolks, one at a
time, until blended well.

3. Mix soda and sour cream and whisk into chocolate mixture.

4. Mix flour and baking powder well, and add to batter, mixing
thoroughly.

5. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Stir in a quarter of the
egg whites thoroughly into the batter. Scoop the remaining egg whites
on top of the batter and gently fold in.

6. Pour batter into prepared pan. Set on the middle rack of the oven
and bake for 40-50 min. or until the edges have pulled away from the
pan and the cake tester inserted comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10
minutes; unmold and cool completely before frosting.

=============================Chocolate Frosting======================

2 T sweet butter 3/4 c semisweet chocolate
chips 6 T heavy cream 1 1/4 c confectioners sugar
1 t vanilla

Place all ingredients in a heavy saucepan and whisk until smooth over
low heat. Cool slightly; add more sugar if necessary. Spread on cake
while frosting is still warm.

Source: Silver Palate Cookbook