Valentine's Day Devil's Food Cake With Sour Cream Frosting

Valentine's Day devil's food cake with sour cream frosting is a romantic little cake for two.  This cake was developed for Bon Appetit and is the perfect small cake for two to share on Valentine's day.  The chocolate sour cream frosting melts in your mouth and the cake is moist from the buttermilk.  I use a dark cacao powder from Mayan Superfood's (amazon).  This cocoa is rich in  antioxidants, iron and magnesium.  I also deleted the corn syrup and white flour from this recipe and used agave and whole wheat white flour in exchange.

Valentine's Day Devil's Food Cake With Sour Cream Frosting

Valentine's Day Devil's Food Cake With Sour Cream Frosting:
Serves:  6
Pre-Heat Oven:  350 degrees

Cake:
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (like Mayan Superfood cacao)
1 ounce high quality milk chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup boiling water
1/4 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup whole wheat white flour or cake flour
1 teaspoon corn starch
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup organic cane sugar or white sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:
8 ounces of Ghirardelli double chocolate bittersweet chips
1/4 cup  (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup sour cream
3 teaspoons agave

Garnish:
6 whole strawberries, washed and patted dry
3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (like Ghirardelli)

Cake:
1.  Add the boiling water to the cocoa powder and the chopped milk chocolate.  Stir until all the chocolate has melted.
2.  In a mixer with a paddle attachment cream the canola oil, white sugar and brown sugar.  Add the egg and mix one minute or until light and fluffy.  Add the buttermilk, salt, baking soda, corn starch, melted chocolate and flour.  Mix until all the ingredients have been incorporated about 2 minutes.
3.  Pour the batter into a greased pan (like pam with flour) that is 6" across and 5" inches high.  Bake the cake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean.  Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.

Frosting:
1.  Place the Ghirardelli double chocolate bittersweet chips into a microwaveable safe bowl.  Heat the chips on high for one minute and then stir with a spoon.  Cook the chips on high for one more minute and then stir.  All the chips should be melted (if they are still hard microwave for 30 more seconds).  Cut the butter into small pieces and stir them into the melted chocolate.  Whisk in the agave and sour cream.  Allow the frosting to set up for 10 minutes before you frost your cake.

Whisking In the Sour Cream And Agave

2.  Cut the cooled cake into 3 layers.  Add 1/3 of the frosting to the bottom layer, then add another 1/3 of the frosting to the middle layer.  Finally add the last layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake.

Frosting the First Layer Of Cake

3.  Garnish the cake with chocolate covered strawberries:  melt 1 cup of Ghirardelli double chocolate bittersweet chips in the microwave for one minute and stir with a spoon.  Microwave another minute on high and stir the chips.  All the chips should be melted.  Dip the washed strawberries into the melted chocolate.  Allow the the strawberries to set up on a piece of parchment paper for 15 minutes or until set.  Decorate the cake with chocolate covered strawberries.