I made this chocolate sour cream cake for a recent Dean Writers Circle meeting where we were fare-welling a much loved member (we’ll see her on Zoom we hope). It was met with more than the usual ‘Ah, chocolate cake!’ reaction, so I explained the recipe is from my 1970 Australian Women’s Weekly CookBook, which I was given as a young thing on my engagement. The book has lasted considerably longer than the engagement, although both of us are not quite so shiny as we once were!
To save straining your eyes reading the choc-smudged version, here it is – I’ve kept the imperial measures, sorry.
Ingredients
3/4 cup hot coffee
1/2 cup cocoa (I use dark)
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 oz butter at room temp
3 eggs separated
1 tsp salt (I use a pinch)
1 tsp vanilla1 tsp bicarb of soda
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups plain (yes plain) flour
1/2 cup sugar extra
Method
Stir hot coffee gradually into cocoa. Combine the 1 1/4 cups sugar with butter, vanilla, egg yolks, salt and half the cocoa mixture. Beat until light and creamy. Mix bicarb of soda and sour cream together.
To butter and sugar mixture, add sour cream and remainder of cocoa-coffee mix alternately with sifted flour.
Beat egg whites until stiff, gradually add the 1/2 cup sugar, beat until meringue stands in stiff peaks. Fold gently into chocolate mixture.
Pour into 9″ or 10″ greased and paper-lined cake tin . Bake in moderate oven (160C fan) about 1 hour – test at that point. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Decoration
How you decorate it is up to you. The recipe suggests cutting in half (horizontally :D) and filling with whipped cream – why not add some jam too? Then covering top and sides with a frosting made by melting 4 oz chopped dark chocolate over hot water, allowing to cool slightly then stir in 1/2 cup sour cream (and a pinch salt). Add 4 dessertspoons sifted icing sugar and beat to a spreading consistency. I tend to use Vienna Cream for birthday cakes, or when lazy, a good coating of sifted icing sugar. A handful of strawberries or raspberries would add a healthy touch!