The Chocolate Domingo, My Top Favorite Chocolate Cake

The sour cream base of this chocolate cake and the large amount of butter give it an exceptionally fine melt-in-the-mouth texture and fabulous flavor. I dedicated this cake to Plácido Domingo in the tradition of creating a special recipe for a favorite opera star. I thought I couldn’t improve on my idea of perfection, but in recent years I tried replacing a little of the sour cream with boiling water to release the maximum flavor from the cocoa. Now it is truly the tenor of chocolate butter cakes. —Rose Levy Beranbaum

The Chocolate Domingo, My Top Favorite Chocolate Cake

Makes one 9-inch layer

Serves 8 to 10

Baking time: 30 to 40 minutes

Special equipment: One 9 × 2 inch round pan, encircled with a cake strip, coated with shortening, topped with a parchment round, then coated with baking spray with flour.

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs (2 to 3 yolks; 2 whites) at room temperature
• 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ½ cup, plus 1 tablespoon (sifted before measuring) unsweetened alkalized cocoa powder
• 3 tablespoons boiling water
• ½ cup full-fat sour cream
• 1½ cups bleached cake flour (sifted into the cup and leveled off), plus one tablespoon 
• 1 cup sugar, preferably superfine
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 14 tablespoons or 1¾ sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

Directions

Preheat the oven: Twenty minutes or longer before baking, set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Set the oven at 350˚F.

Mix the liquid ingredients: In a 1 cup glass measuring cup with a spout, lightly whisk the measured egg yolks and egg whites. Add the vanilla and whisk until lightly combined.

Make the cocoa mixture: In a 4 cup glass measuring cup with a spout, with​ a silicone spatula, stir together the cocoa and boiling water until all the cocoa is moistened. It will be a thick paste. Immediately, to prevent evaporation, stir in the egg mixture until well mixed. Add the sour cream and whisk until incorporated. It will be a slightly lumpy mixture.

Make the batter: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt on low speed for 30 seconds.

Add the butter and half the cocoa mixture. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Raise the speed to medium and beat for 1.5 minutes to aerate and develop the cake’s structure. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Starting on medium-low speed, gradually add the remaining cocoa mixture in two parts, beating on medium speed for 30 seconds after each addition to incorporate the ingredients smoothly. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.