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AMANDA HESSER’S CHOCOLATE DUMP-IT CAKE

One of our listeners called in and raved about this cake.  She always makes it to impress.

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
  • 1/4 pound unsalted butter (1 stick), plus more for greasing the pan
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pan
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon semi-coarse sea salt or kosher salt
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups Nestle semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 1/2 cups sour cream, at room temperature

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and place a baking sheet on lowest rack, to catch any drips when cake bakes. Put sugar, unsweetened chocolate, butter and 1 cup of water in a saucepan. Place over medium heat and stir occasionally until all ingredients are melted and blended. Remove from heat and let cool slightly, 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, stir together the milk and vinegar. Grease and flour a 9-inch tube pan. (If you prefer, you can grease it, line it with parchment and then grease and flour it. This is not necessary, but parchment does make getting the cake out easier.)

When chocolate in pan has cooled a bit, whisk in milk mixture and eggs. In several additions and without overmixing, whisk in dry ingredients. When mixture is smooth, add vanilla and whisk once or twice, to blend.

“Dump” batter into tube pan and bake on middle rack until a skewer inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cake cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool on a rack. (This can be tricky, so if someone is around, enlist help. Place a ring of wax paper on top of cake so you have something to grab onto when turning it out.) Let cool completely.

Meanwhile, melt chocolate chips in a double boiler, then let cool to room temperature. It is very important that the chocolate and sour cream be the same temperature, otherwise the icing will be lumpy or grainy. (Test it by stirring a little of the sour cream and chocolate together in a bowl; if it mixes smoothly, it’s ready.) Stir in sour cream, 1/4 cup at a time, until the mixture is smooth. Taste some! It’s good.

When cake is cool, you may frost it as is or cut it in half so that you have two layers (when I do this, I use 2 cups chocolate chips and 2 cups sour cream). My mother uses any leftover icing to make flowers on top. She dabs small rosettes, or buttons, on top, then uses toasted almond slices as the petals, pushing them in around the base of the rosette. (My mother kept it in the fridge, and it is sublime even when cold.)

Serves 10.