Country Chocolate Cake with Milk Chocolate Frosting

Begging for a crown of birthday candles, this layer cake has two kitchen tricks working in its favor. Mayonnaise yields a moist crumb; sour cream keeps sugary buttercream in tangy check. (Note: This recipe makes enough frosting to fill and frost the entire cake [top and sides]. To leave the sides unfrosted as we did in our photograph, just make a half batch.)

ingredients

Country Chocolate Cake:
2 eggs
1 cup mayonnaise
2 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting pans
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 2/3 cups packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup hot water
Milk Chocolate Frosting:
12 ounces good quality milk chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup butter
1 8 - ounce carton sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 1/2-5 cups powdered sugar
directions

Let eggs and mayonnaise sit out for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, grease three 8x11/2-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment or waxed paper. Grease paper and lightly flour pans; set aside. Microwave semisweet chocolate in a small bowl at 50 percent power for 1 minute; stir. Continue heating and stirring chocolate at 10- to 15-second intervals until smooth; set aside. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and baking powder; set aside.
In a large bowl, beat brown sugar and mayonnaise for 3 minutes, scraping sides as needed. Add the melted chocolate and beat until almost combined. Add eggs and 11/2 teaspoons vanilla; beat until just combined. Alternately add flour and the hot water, starting and ending with flour. Beat after each addition until just combined. Divide batter among pans.
Bake in a 350 degrees oven for 20 minutes or until the toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans; remove paper. Cool completely on wire racks.
For frosting: In a large saucepan, stir chopped milk chocolate and butter until melted. Remove from heat and cool for 6 minutes. Stir in sour cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla. With an electric mixer, beat in powdered sugar on low speed until smooth and spreadable, scraping sides as needed. Use immediately; frosting sets up as it cools. (For a fully frosted cake, use 2/3 cup frosting between layers.)
nutrition facts
(Country Chocolate Cake with Milk Chocolate Frosting)

Servings Per Recipe 16, carb. (g) 86, Niacin (mg) 1, Monounsaturated fat (g) 7, Pyridoxine (Vit. B6) (mg) 0, chol. (mg) 57, Thiamin (mg) 0, sat. fat (g) 12, Riboflavin (mg) 0, vit. C (mg) 0, Fat, total (g) 28, pro. (g) 5, calcium (mg) 95, cal. (kcal) 596, vit. A (IU) 346, iron (mg) 2, fiber (g) 2, sodium (mg) 332, sugar (g) 70, Potassium (mg) 230, Polyunsaturated fat (g) 7, Folate (µg) 36, Trans fatty acid (g) 0, Cobalamin (Vit. B12) (µg) 0