Sandy’s Chocolate Cake
Years ago, I drove 4-1/2 hours to a cake contest, holding my entry on my lap the whole way. But it paid off. One bite and you'll see why this velvety beauty was named the best chocolate cake recipe won first prize. —Sandra Johnson, Tioga, Pennsylvania
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 3 cups packed brown sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup baking cocoa
- 3 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/3 cups sour cream
- 1-1/3 cups boiling water
- FROSTING:
- 1/2 cup butter, cubed
- 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 5 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Reviews
This cake is everything Sandy said it was! Worth the effort. It has become my "go to" when I need an impressive cake for a special occasion.
I have a feeling the people who did not get a rise in the cake used baking powder instead of baking soda.
Wow...this cake is amazing! I followed the instructions pretty closely, except I used brewed coffee instead of boiling water. I also added a raspberry filling between the layers. It was one of the best cakes I've ever made! This is definitely my new go-to chocolate cake.
Excellent, I put black currant jam between the layers as well. You only need a small piece. I will make this again. Janet VFE
The very best and now the only chocolate cake I make, there is no better!
This was the best chocolate cake I've ever made. It was a hit with rave reviews. This is my Go To Chocolate cake love it!
Wow, is right! A beautiful tall moist dense chocolate cake with wonderful rich chocolate frosting to die for. The frosting was just the right consistency to hide a small crack in one of the layers. The cake is going to my church homecoming tomorrow. I'll be lucky to bring home a crumb or two!
Question. I only have 9"x13" cake pans. Does anyone know if this can be baked the same way?
Wow! I made this cake for the 4th of July (what's more American than chocolate cake, right?!) and it was a grand slam, home run with everyone! I made the recipe exactly as stated except I added a generous dash of cinnamon to the batter with the other dry ingredients. The cake came out exactly like it looks in the picture on the website. It is so delicious, I can't stop eating it! It's dense (I love dense cakes as opposed to light and airy, spongy cakes), super moist and full of chocolate flavor. The frosting pairs perfectly with the cake. The recipe made three full size, 9 inch layers, I just wrapped one layer in plastic wrap and foil and put it in the freezer for another day. The frosting was more than enough to generously frost two layers, and then have about a cup leftover. At first I was stumped because I never heard of "leftover frosting" before, not in my house! This frosting recipe left enough leftover for us spoon-loving-frosting-eating adults, and more for another time! I bet I could even frost 1/2 dozen cupcakes with the leftover frosting. So to sum it up, if you love rich, chocolately, moist, dense cake with tangy, sweet, chocolately frosting of which you will have some leftover, then make this cake! Thank you for sharing, Sandy! This cake recipe deserves that winning ribbon!
I have made this cake many times, it always come out perfectly and I always get rave reviews. The people having problems probably didn’t follow directions. Baking is a science, if you aren’t exact in your measurements and use the right size pan it won’t work.