Double Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

Cake
1 3/4 cups cake flour 
3 teaspoons baking powder 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1 teaspoon cinnamon 
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate 
5 Tablespoons boiling water 
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 
4 eggs , separated 
1/2 cup milk 
1 teaspoon vanilla 

Frosting
2 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup butter, at room temperature
9 ounces good quality chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
3/4 cup sour cream

Garnish 
Chocolate Curls
Melting chocolate wafers
or 
A fairly big chunk of melting chocolate
* You can usually find these in the bulk section of most grocery stores.

Directions

Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line 2 8-inch round pans with parchment paper and grease the parchment paper with a little butter.

In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

Use a boiler (or your method of choice) to melt the chocolate. Add the boiling water to the melted chocolate, stir to combine. Remove the melted chocolate from the heat source and set aside to cool to room temperature.

In a large mixing bowl using an electric beater, cream the butter until soft. Add and beat in the sugar until you have a creamy mixture.

Beat in the egg yolks to the cream mixture 1 at a time.

Beat the cooled chocolate mixture into the cream mixture.

Next you will alternate flour and milk into the creamed chocolate mixture. Use an electric mixer to mix until smooth, mix in the vanilla and set aside.

In a clean bowl, use an electric beater to whip the egg whites until stiff then use a spatula to fold the egg whites lightly into cake batter.

Pour into prepared pans.

Bake 30-35 minutes.

Cakes are baked when a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Remove from the oven to cooling racks. Let the cakes sit in the pans for 5 minutes, then turn the cakes onto the cooling racks, peel off the parchment paper and let cool to room temperature.

Frosting

In a bowl, sift the confectioners’ sugar, cocoa, and salt and stir together.

In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth.

Reduce speed to low and add sugar-cocoa mixture in increments.

Beat until combined. Pour in melted chocolate and beat in. Add the sour cream and beat until combined and creamy smooth.

This is best kept in the refrigerator because of the cream cheese in the frosting.

Assembly

Put the first layer of cooled caked onto the cake dish.

Spread a generous amount of frosting.

Put the second layer of cake on top.

Frost the tops and sides.

Garnish with chocolate curls.

How To Make Chocolate Curls

If using melting chocolate you will need to melt these down in a double boiler, or with a pot filled with water and a bowl that can rest on top of it. Use low heat when doing this.

When chocolate is melted pour into a small container (a small Tupperware, or glass container) lined with parchment paper, so that you can make a little brick of chocolate. Let this set, until chocolate has hardened up.

Now whether your using a big chunk, or the brick of melted chocolate. Take a straight edged knife, and with a bit of pressure, drag knife across the chocolate. It should curl and flake off.

Tip: Be sure not to handle chocolate too much as it will start to melt in your hands.

(http://www.divinedesserts.grandmotherskitchen.org/)