Birthday Cake

This chocolate cake is for my wonderful dad for his birthday. After all he does....

....such as scaling large christmas trees that we talked him into getting....

...and putting up with the crazy dog that we talked him into getting....

....and much, much more, he deserves a chocolate cake made from scratch.

Happy Birthday Dad!!

A note about the cake itself now, it is from the cookbook Nigella Bites, and the recipe can be found here (I will give the American conversions below, as she is british and so is her website). Nigella is perhaps my very favorite cookbook author, I just love her. You should probably read some of her cookbooks, how can you not love a woman who in describing how to tell if a cheesecake is done uses the phrase "the slightest, sexiest hint of quiver within."?

Start by mixing up the dry ingredients.

Then whisk the sour cream (it sounds kind of odd, but it works), eggs and vanilla until smooth.

Take the butter, melt it and toss it in the mixer. Add the oil, then the dry stuff. When that is combined pour in the sour cream mixture to complete the luscious batter.

Pour into the pans and bake for 45 min.

Add frosting (a small confession, I did not follow the recipe for the frosting, in my family we draw the line at 3 1/2 sticks of butter in one dish, so I used one stick and one box of powdered sugar, plus enough milk to make it come together and 4oz. of melted chocolate.)

Chocolate Fudge Cake Ingredients

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup best quality cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sour cream

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/2 cup corn oil

1 1/3 cups chilled water

For the Fudge Icing (that I did not make)

6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, minimum 70% cocoa solids

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

(the rest of the recipe can be found on Nigella's website, the link is provided above)