Ingredients
3 oz unsweetened chocolate
2¼ cups sifted cake flour
2 tsp of baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ cup butter or margarine, softened
2¼ cups packed light brown sugar
3 eggs
1½ tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
1 cup boiling water
Fudge Frosting

Method

Melt the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl over hot water. let cool. Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a large bowl and set aside. Beat the butter in a mixer bowl. Add the brown sugar and eggs and beat for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and cooled chocolate. Add the chocolate mixture and sour cream alternately to the flour mixture, beating with a wooden spoon after each addition. Stir in the boiling water; the batter will be thin. Spoon into 3 greased and floured 8-inch cake pans. Bake at 350 deg F for 35 minutes or until the cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Loosen the edges with a spatula. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Spread Fudge Frosting between the layers and over the top and side of the cake.

Ingredients for Frosting
5 oz unsweetened chocolate
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons butter
1¼ cups confectioners’ sugar
½ cup plus 2 tbls milk
2½ tsp vanilla extract

Method for Frosting
Melt the chocolate and butter in a small heavy saucepan over low heat. Remove from the heat. Blend the confectioners’ sugar, milk and vanilla in a medium bowl. Add the chocolate mixture. Set the bowl in a pan of ice water. Beat with a wooden spoon until of spreading consistency.