One-in-a-hundred fudge cake
These three recipes are perfect for barbecues or any other kind of summer entertaining for which you need to bring a dish, because they travel well.
The two salads are robustly flavored and especially good with grilled meat, fish or chicken. They can easily be doubled or tripled to serve a crowd and improve if made a day ahead.
The fudge cake is the best chocolate cake I’ve ever tasted. Many years ago, this cake was the winner in a chocolate cake contest that I ran in this column. A great chocolate cake is hard to find at the store; that’s why I had the contest. This cake is chocolate at its best--dark, dense and wonderfully fudge-like. It’s also easy to make.
Cake
Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt into large mixer bowl; stir in sugar. Add sour cream, butter, eggs and vanilla. Use mixer on low speed to combine ingredients, then increase to medium speed and mix 3 minutes. Grease 13x9-inch baking pan and dust lightly with flour. Transfer batter to pan; use spatula to smooth surface.
Bake at 350 degrees until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack. Spread with frosting. (Can be made day ahead and kept at room temperature, covered airtight.)
Frosting
Stir sugar and cream in heavy 3-quart saucepan over medium heat until sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently 6 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in chocolate and butter until smooth. Stir in vanilla.
Refrigerate until chilled and somewhat set but not solid. Put in processor bowl fitted with metal blade and process briefly until light and fluffy. An alternative: Beat with wooden spoon. Spread on cake.
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