A rich chocolate cake made with sour cream

If there's anything as American as apple pie, it must be chocolate cake. Chocolate is certainly an all-time favorite when it comes to flavors.

Although it is used in all kinds of desserts and dishes from cookies to wedding cakes, chocolate layer cake is unquestionably an American classic.

There are many variations on chocolate cake but this one is made with sour cream to give it a rich moistness and cocoa to make it easy to put together. Chocolate Sour Cream Cake 3/4 cup cocoa 1 1/3 cups boiling water 1 cup butter or margarine 3 cups packed light brown sugar 4 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 3/4 cups unsifted cake flour 3 teaspoons baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/3 cups dairy sour cream Chocolate Frosting (recipe below)

In a small saucepan, add cocoa to boiling water; stir or whisk until smooth. Cool. In large mixing bowl cream butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla at high speed until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt; add alternately with cocoa mixture and sour cream to creamed ingredients, beginning and ending with flour.

Beat just until batter is smooth. Pour into three well-greased and floured 9 -inch layer cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans. Cool completely. Frost with Chocolate Frosting. Chocolate Frosting 3/4 cup butter 3/4 cup cocoa 3 cups confectioners' sugar 6 to 7 tablespoons milk 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add cocoa; heat just until mixture boils, stirring constantly until smooth.

Pour into medium mixing bowl; cool completely. Add confectioners' sugar alternately with milk, beating to spreading consistency. Blend in vanilla.