by amanda
View
my 118 recipes »
Photo by Sarah Shatz
2 cups sugar Ask a question about this ingredient
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate Ask a question about this ingredient
1/4 pound unsalted butter (1 stick), plus more for greasing the pan Ask a question about this ingredient
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pan Ask a question about this ingredient
2 teaspoons baking soda Ask a question about this ingredient
1 teaspoon baking powder Ask a question about this ingredient
1 teaspoon sea salt Ask a question about this ingredient
1 cup milk Ask a question about this ingredient
1 teaspoon cider vinegar Ask a question about this ingredient
2 eggs Ask a question about this ingredient
1 teaspoon vanilla Ask a question about this ingredient
1 1/2 cup Nestle’s semisweet chocolate chips Ask a question about this ingredient
1 1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature Ask a question about this ingredient
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, and place a baking sheet on the lowest rack, to catch any drips when the cake bakes. Put the sugar, unsweetened chocolate, butter and 1 cup of water in a saucepan. Place over medium heat and stir occasionally until all of the ingredients are melted and blended. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
Ask a question about this stepMeanwhile, sift together the 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.)
Ask a question about this stepWhen the chocolate in the pan has cooled a bit, whisk in the milk mixture and eggs. In several additions and without overmixing, whisk in the dry ingredients. When the mixture is smooth, add the vanilla and whisk once or twice, to blend. Pour the batter into the tube pan and bake on the middle rack until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool on a rack. (This can be tricky – if someone is around, enlist them to help. Place a ring of wax paper on top of the cake so you have something to grab onto when turning it out.) Let cool completely.
Ask a question about this stepMeanwhile, melt the 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 the sour cream, 1/4 cup at a time, until the mixture is smooth. Taste some! It’s good.
Ask a question about this stepWhen the 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.
Ask a question about this stepOh good, I am pleased you found it funny.
This is one of the most requested cakes in my repertoire, it is especially popular with children I find, One of my favourite ways of serving it is as a coffee cake.
Water's missing from the ingredients list!
It's in step 1. Our recipe writing style is to put all water amounts in the steps of the recipes. A style relic of my days at the NYT.
Thanks - of course saw it as soon as I posted the comment. In your NYT cookbook, it does list the water in the ingredients though....
So, I've made this cake 3 times. The first time i made 2 cakes - frosted one with a hazelnut chocolate ganache and the other with a white chocolate/mint frosting. Both were hits but the white choc one took itself over the edge (ref recipe Jenny share/chocolate cupcake souffles/Smitten Kitchen).
I didn't have apple cider vinegar so I used champagne vinegar; the milk was a combo of heavy cream and skimmed milk - no full cream milk in the house and I used light and dark brown sugars. This resulted in serious chocolatey toffeee/caramel flavours - DIVINE. My neighbours LOVED it!
Second time I made this, I added 2 cups of water (it was early in the morning). I was gutted. The cake baked in the same time......no changes except it turned out more like red velvet cake in taste.
The third time, it was back to the highly request white chocolate-mint frosting and tomorrow, I'm making a giant cupcake for my niece's birthday. The frosting will be a marshmallow mint one as I've run out of white chocolate, and its not easy to lay my hands on in the Nigerian city of Port Harcourt.
This page on my NYTime cookbook....is greased!
can you make this cake in a regular (non-tube) cake pan? what size?
Yes, but I'd do it in two 9-inch pans, otherwise it's difficult to get it to cook in the center without overcooking the edges (it's a wet batter).
Just had to add new kudos. Made this again for my husband's birthday party and the crowd went WILD! fwiw, I used my mother's trick of substituting Kahlua for vanilla in all chocolate recipes. No clue if it was better or the same, but thank you again for creating and sharing this amazing dessert!
I came to this recipe via Flour's take on it, in cupcake form. It was the perfect recipe for a children's party--I made the batter (and some buttercream) Friday night and baked up the cupcakes the Sunday of the party. Fresh-baked and low stress the day of, when all the other last minute problems come up.
The "Chocolate Dump-It Cake" has become my husbands birthday cake ever since I read Cooking for Mr. Latte five years ago. This cake has come to mean so much to us because now it's a family tradition. Thanks, Amanda!
Very touched to hear this. I'm going to tell my mother. Thanks.
I made this yesterday as one of the cakes for my granddaughter's 4th birthday party. It was a huge hit with the kids and adults alike. All 5 grandkids "helped" frost it, and all ended up with chocolate icing all over their faces. They had so much fun. Thanks for a perfect birthday cake!!
Great to hear it -- I just made the icing this past weekend, and my kids did the same!
This sounds delicious and I suspect it will become a staple in my house once I make it. Which will be soon!
p.s. Can I move in with your mom? Your dinner descriptions are killing me!
Yes, sure! I'll tell her to expect you next week.
One of my toddler's favorite phrases is "Dump it!" This looks like the perfect recipe for his birthday next month!
Definitely. It was always my birthday cake growing up.
My go-to chocolate cake recipe...my daughter brings her friends over after school to eat this cake, and I sell it by the slice at a farmers' market in the summer. Many thanks for the recipe, Amanda!!
Like that you're spreading the dump-it cake love. Will tell my mother.
Can't wait to try this one; sometimes you need just a fabulous hunk of moist chocolate cake and nothing else will do!!
Amanda - thank you for sharing this. I made it for my husband for his birthday and he thinks it the best cake he's ever had and says it's now *his* birthday cake. Even touted it on FaceBook! I personally don't like chocolate cake but this is really delicious!!
this is my daughter's favorite cake
she sleeps with your book at her bedside
in fact, i have to point out to her that it's my copy
As a side note, a few years before she died (in 2006 at age 94) my grandmother thoroughly enjoyed reading your CfMrL book.
This is so nice to hear -- thank you.
We had this again for my sister and sister in law's birthday celebration this past week and it was of course a hit. We served it with ice cream form a local parlor (Coyle's Ice Cream, Bay Shore, NY).
Making this for my husband's 40th birthday!
I make it for my husband's birthday every year. Enjoy!
My copy of Cooking for Mr. Latte is dog-eared and chocolate-stained from making this cake so many times. I like to carefully slice the cake in half and fill it with raspberry jam or cherry preserves. Thank you, Amanda!
I don't have a 9 inch tube pan is there another type of pan I can substitute?
Having trouble melting the chocolate in my mock double boiler - any suggestions??
I also forgot to say, my cousin has called this the "When Harry Met Sally" of chocolate cakes, and thank you Ms Hesser for posting it on here, my family thanks you