I love this cake I use it often for a base to create other kinds of cakes.
- Carbohydrate 108.869054166667 g
- Cholesterol 210.490625 mg
- Fat 17.4687516666667 g
- Fiber 0.937000013589859 g
- Protein 8.42595166666667 g
- Saturated Fat 9.533030625 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (189g)
- Sodium 279.63775 mg
- Sugar 107.932054153077 g
- Trans Fat 1.75505620833333 g
- Calories 615 calories
Step-by-step
- Mix butter, sugar, and eggs.
- Add vanilla and sour cream.
- Mix flour, salt, and cocoa and add to creamed mixture.
- Boil water and stir baking soda into water.
- Pour into batter and mix thoroughly.
- Spread into greased 9x13 pan and bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
- Toothpick test.
- Melt and bring to boil margarine, cocoa and milk.
- Add remaining ingredients and pour over cooled cake.
Bakers frequently err by dumping dry ingredients into cold fats all at once, which creates uneven gluten pockets and dense spots throughout the crumb. Softened butter must be thoroughly creamed with both granulated and brown sugars until the mixture gains visible volume and lightened color, incorporating microscopic air cells that expand under heat. Adding eggs one at a time prevents the emulsion from breaking and ensures smooth incorporation.
Sour cream introduces essential dairy acidity that tenderizes the gluten strands in the flour while reacting directly with the baking soda to generate lift. Dissolving that baking soda in boiling water before adding it to the batter achieves two distinct chemical goals simultaneously. Hot liquid hydrates the cocoa solids, blooming their bitter flavor compounds into a deeper, fruitier chocolate profile while immediately activating the leavening agent right as the pan enters the 375 degree oven.
Adapting this base batter requires careful attention to moisture ratios. Substituting oil for butter alters the final structure significantly, yielding a moister crumb that lacks the rigid structural support of solidified milk fats. Monitoring the bake closely around the thirty-minute mark prevents dryness; insert a wooden toothpick into the center, looking for a few moist crumbs clinging to the wood rather than wet batter or a completely clean surface.
