Memorable Quotes:

"A Bearnaise sauce is simply an egg yolk, a shallot, a little tarragon vinegar and butter, but it takes years of practice for the result to be perfect." Fernand Point

Mary Brown's Chocolate Cake

A simple, old-fashioned chocolate cake made especially moist with sour cream. Melted chocolate chips give the cake a rich chocolate flavor, while the unusual addition of baking soda to the warm chocolate mixture creates a light, tender texture.


Servings: About 9
Prep Time: About 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35–45 minutes

Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • ½ cup sour cream, room temperature
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, eggs and sour cream until well combined.
  3. In a small saucepan, heat the water and chocolate chips together, stirring until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth.
  4. Stir the baking soda into the warm chocolate mixture and allow it to foam.
  5. Add the chocolate mixture to the creamed ingredients and mix until combined.
  6. Add the flour and vanilla and mix just until the batter is smooth.
  7. Pour the batter into the prepared 8-inch square pan.
  8. Bake for 35–45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  9. Cool in the pan before cutting and serving.

Denver High-Altitude Adjustments (5,280 feet):

  • Increase the oven temperature from 350°F to 365°F.
  • Reduce the sugar from 1 cup to ⅞ cup (¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons).
  • Reduce the baking soda from 1 teaspoon to ¾ teaspoon.
  • Add 1 tablespoon additional water to the batter.
  • Begin checking for doneness at about 30 minutes; the cake may finish sooner at the higher temperature.
  • Keep the eggs and sour cream unchanged.

Tip: Mary’s original recipe says to double all of the ingredients for a 9 x 13-inch cake. Because this cake contains sour cream and melted chocolate, avoid overbaking it; a few moist crumbs on the tester are preferable to a completely dry cake.

Source: Mary Brown’s Recipe