Recipe: Omanhene Sour Cream Cake

Omanhene Sour Cream Cake

16 servings

This recipe was submitted by Stephanie Zonis for Omanhene.

A dark chocolate-sour cream cake with a not-too-sweet chocolate-sour cream frosting. This is a lovely dessert for informal get-togethers. The cake is served from the pan; but the frosting can be swirled or "spiked" with the back of a spoon if you want to jazz it up a bit. Note that the frosting does not freeze, but the cake will keep well in the refrigerator for several days.

2c & 2 Tbsp sifted cake flour
1/3c Dutch-process cocoa (see Note below)
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
7 ingots (0.7 oz. each) Omanhene dark milk chocolate, chopped
3/4 c (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1-1/2 c & 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 Tbsp pure vanilla
4 large eggs
1 c sour cream
1 c boiling water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan (the sides must be 2 inches high); set aside. Sift together cake flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside. In small heat proof bowl over hot water on low heat, melt chocolate, stirring often, just until smooth. Remove from heat and hot water to cool.

In large bowl of electric mixer, cream softened butter, sugar and vanilla at medium speed for about 2 minutes, until fluffy. Scrape bowl and beaters frequently throughout mixing process to ensure thorough blending. At low speed, add eggs, one at a time, beating after each until incorporated. When all eggs have been added, increase speed to medium; beat 1 minute. On low speed, beat in melted chocolate, which may still be slightly warm. Batter may look curdled—OK.

On lowest speed, alternately beat in sifted dry ingredients in three additions and sour cream in two additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients and beating after each addition just until incorporated. Batter will be quite thick. Very gradually, at lowest speed, add boiling water, beating only until combined (batter will now be thin).

Pour batter into prepared pan. As best as you can, with back of spoon, run batter a bit higher along edges and in corners of pan. Bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted in center emerges with only a few moist crumbs clinging to it, 29 to 35 minutes. (During baking, cake will rise very high, especially in center, but it will sink a bit and level itself as it cools.) Cool completely in pan before frosting.

Note: Dutch-process cocoa is a type of unsweetened cocoa powder. It is alkalized to reduce acidity, resulting in a dark color and deep, mellow flavor. Stephanie Zonis uses Hershey's European Style, but there are other brands in this country, including Droste and Bensdorp. Results may differ if regular unsweetened cocoa powder is substituted.

Store cake in refrigerator.

Reprinted with permission from Omanhene Cocoa Bean Company

Desserts Made from Ghananian Chocolate

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