Not to sound sexist, but I don’t know many men who can make a cake as well as our friend Andrew Ziebart, in Portland. This cake is DIVINE.
4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, broken into pieces
1/4 C (1/2 stick) butter
1-2/3 C boiling water
2-1/3 C all-purpose flour
2 C sugar
1/2 C sour cream
2 eggs
2 t baking soda
1 t salt
1 t vanilla
Heat oven to 350 F. Grease two 8- or 9-inch round pans. Combine chocolate, butter, and water in large bowl and stir until chocolate and butter are melted. Add remaining ingredients and beat on low speed of mixer until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake about a half hour or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack.
Frost with chocolate buttercream frosting: 3 oz chocolate and 3 T butter, melted together. Using an electric mixer, mix with 3 C powdered sugar, 1/2 C milk, 1 t vanilla, and 1/8 t salt.