Deep Dark Chocolate Sour Cream Bars Food

ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Butter and line a 20cm round cake tin (7.5cm deep).
• Put 200g chopped dark chocolate in a medium pan with 200g butter.
• Mix 1 tbsp instant coffee granules into 125ml cold water and pour into the pan.
• Warm through over a low heat just until everything is melted - don't overheat. Or melt in the microwave for about 5 minutes, stirring halfway through.
• Mix 85g self-raising flour, 85g plain flour, ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda, 200g light muscovado sugar, 200g golden caster sugar and 25g cocoa powder, and squash out any lumps.
• Beat 3 medium eggs with 75ml buttermilk.
• Pour the melted chocolate mixture and the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir everything to a smooth, quite runny consistency.
• Pour this into the tin and bake for 1hr 25 - 1hr 30 mins. If you push a skewer into the centre it should come out clean and the top should feel firm (don't worry if it cracks a bit).
• Leave to cool in the tin (don't worry if it dips slightly), then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Cut the cold cake horizontally into three.
• To make the ganache, put 200g chopped dark chocolate in a bowl. Pour 300ml double cream into a pan, add 2 tbsp golden caster sugar and heat until it is about to boil.
• Take off the heat and pour it over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Cool until it is a little thicker but still pourable.
• Sandwich the layers together with just a little of the ganache. Pour the rest over the cake letting it fall down the sides and smooth over any gaps with a palette knife.
• Decorate with 50g grated chocolate or 100g chocolate curls. The cake keeps moist and gooey for 3-4 days.

CHOCOLATE SOUR CREAM POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 °F. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan.
• Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, sour cream and sugar. Add the eggs, 2 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla.
• In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and cocoa. Add 1/2 the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, beat well, add the remaining 1/2 flour mixture, and continue to beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes. Continue to bake for an additional 15 minutes if necessary, but do not open the oven to check the cake for at least 1 hour.

DEEP DARK CHOCOLATE SOUR CREAM BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Spray the bottom only of a 13 x 9 inch metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• Reserve 1 cup of the cake mix; set aside.
• In a large bowl place remaining cake mix, 1 of the eggs, and 1/4 cup melted butter.
• Blend 1 to 2 minutes with an electric mixture on low speed until well blended.
• Press mixture into prepared pan.
• In medium bowl mix remaining 3 eggs, sour cream, brown sugar and remaining 1/2 cup melted butter with electric mixer set on low speed until well blended.
• Add reserved cake mix, beating 2 minutes on medium speed until mixture is smooth; stir in chocolate chips.
• Pour over prepared crust.
• Bake for 35 to 38 minutes, until just set and light golden on top.
• Cool completely.
• Cut into bars and sift with cocoa powder if desired.

CHOCOLATE STOUT CAKE

Steps:

• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Line with parchment paper. Butter paper. Bring 2 cups stout and 2 cups butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.
• Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer cakes to rack; cool 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack and cool completely.
• For icing:
• Bring cream to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chopped chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Refrigerate until icing is spreadable, stirring frequently, about 2 hours.
• Place 1 cake layer on plate. Spread 2/3 cup icing over. Top with second cake layer. Spread 2/3 cup icing over. Top with third cake layer. Spread remaining icing over top and sides of cake.

SOUR CREAM DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 9-inch round baking pans.
• Dissolve cocoa powder in boiling water in a bowl; set aside to cool completely.
• Beat white sugar and canola oil together in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth; add eggs, one at time, beating well after each addition. Stir vanilla extract into creamed mixture.
• Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a separate bowl. Mix flour mixture and sour cream alternately into the creamed mixture. Beat cocoa mixture into batter until incorporated. Pour batter into the prepared baking pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap cakes in plastic wrap and store in refrigerator.
• Beat butter in a bowl with an electric mixer until creamy and smooth; scrape down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula. Mix confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, into the creamed butter until sugar is incorporated. Add salt and beat on medium-high until frosting is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
• Place one cake on a serving plate; spread 1/4 the frosting on the top of cake. Place second cake on the frosting layer; spread 1/4 the frosting on second cake. Place the third cake atop the second cake. Spread the remaining frosting on the top cake and around sides of entire layer cake.

CHOCOLATE SOUR CREAM ZUCCHINI CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE GLAZE

Steps:

• Put the grated zucchini in a colander placed over a large bowl. Salt it lightly, tossing gently to mix. Set aside for 30 minutes to drain.
• Preheat the oven to 325°F (170°C). Butter a 9x9-inch cake pan.
• Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and 3/4 teaspoon salt into a bowl.
• Combine the sugar, butter, oil, eggs, and vanilla in another large bowl. Using an electric mixer (handheld is fine), beat the ingredients on medium-high speed for 2 minutes, until well blended. Add one-third of the dry mixture to the liquid and blend it in on low speed. Beat in half of the sour cream, followed by another third of the dry mixture, the rest of the sour cream, and the remaining dry mixture. The batter will start to get heavier late in the mixing, and you may want to do the last bit of mixing with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
• Lift the zucchini out of the colander and give it a gentle squeeze, but don't squeeze out all the moisture. Add the zucchini to the batter and fold it in with a rubber spatula until evenly mixed. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth with a spoon.
• Bake the cake on the middle oven rack for 60 to 70 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and cool thoroughly.
• When the cake has cooled, prepare the glaze, rewarming it if it has firmed up. When it has thickened slightly but is still thin enough to pour easily, slowly pour it over the cake, tilting the cake to spread it around. Cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

DEEP, DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Arrange a shelf in the lower third of the oven, place a baking stone on it, and preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C.
• Spray VERY GENEROUSLY a 13 x 9 x 2-inch (33 x 23 x 5-cm) rectangular pan or two 9 x 2-inch (23 x 5-cm) round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottom of the round pans with parchment and spray on top of the parchment. With the rectangular pan, line and extend up the long sides with a piece of Release foil or parchment sprayed lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a heavy saucepan, stir together the sugar, salt, cocoa, and baking soda. In another saucepan, bring 1 cup (237 ml) water to a boil. Stirring constantly, pour boiling water a little at a time into the cocoa mixture. It will bubble up at first and then get dark and thicken. Stir the cocoa mixture briskly. Place on the heat and bring back to a boil. Turn off the heat and allow to stand in the hot saucepan for at least 10 minutes.
• Pour the hot cocoa mixture into a mixing bowl. Add the oil and vanilla and beat on low speed for about 10 seconds. On low speed, beat the flour into the batter and then, with a minimum of beating, beat in the egg yolks, whole eggs, and buttermilk. This is a thin batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan or pans. Place in the oven on the stone and bake until the center feels springy to the touch, about 25 minutes for round layers or 35 minutes for the sheet cake. Allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes on a rack. Run a thin knife around the edge and jar the edge of the pan to loosen. Invert onto the serving platter. Cool completely before icing.