-
1
Place oven rack in centre of oven, heat to 350u00b0F.
-
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.
