Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Place oven rack in centre of oven, heat to 350°F.
  2. Butter and flour bottoms of 2- 8 inch round cake pans, reserve.
  3. Beat eggs in large mixer bowl at high speed 1 minute.
  4. Continue beating, adding sugar very slowly, about 7 minutes.
  5. Melt chocolate with 3/4 cup butter.
  6. Drizzle warm chocolate mixture into egg mixture, beating at low speed until blended.
  7. Add sour cream and vanilla, beat at low speed until thoroughly blended.
  8. Sift together 1 1/2 cups flour, the cocoa and baking soda.
  9. While beating at low speed, add dry ingredients, about 1/2 cup at a time, to chocolate mixture alternating with milk, about 1/3 cup at a time.
  10. Stop mixer as necessary to clean sides of bowl with rubber spatula.
  11. Beat until well blended.
  12. Pour half of batter into each reserved pan, place pans in oven diagonally on same rack.
  13. Bake until cake tester or wooden pick inserted in centre of each cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
  14. Cool cakes in pans on wire racks until just warm, remove from pans and cool completely on racks.
  15. Prepare Chocolate Buttercream.
  16. Reserve about 1/2 cup buttercream for decorative piping.
  17. To assemble cake, place 1 layer on serving plate, spread top evenly with 3/4 of the firm buttercream.
  18. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
  19. Place second cake layer on top of first layer.
  20. Frost sides, then top of cake completely with buttercream.
  21. Pipe reserved buttercream through pastry bag fitted with star tube in a decorative border around top of cake.
  22. Refrigerate cake until thoroughly chilled, serve cold.
  23. Cake must be stored in refrigerator.