Chocolate Brown Sugar Butter Cake

This is a rich, filling, but very good recipe, great for a lot of company.

Cake Ingredients

1 cup butter
1¼ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

4 large eggs

2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa

¼ cup hot water ⅔ c. chocolate syrup

2½ cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. baking soda

1 container sour cream

½ cup Buttermilk

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Frosting Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened

3-4 cups icing sugar, sifted

2 tsp. vanilla

pinch salt

2-3 tbsp. milk, heavy cream, or half-and-half

• Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy
• Gradually add sugars, beating well
• Add egg yolk, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition

• In a different small bowl, stir together unsweetened cocoa and hot water until cocoa is dissolved.
• Stir in chocolate syrup until blended
• Set aside

• Stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl
• In a separate bowl stir together sour cream, buttermilk and vanilla extract
• Add flour mixture to the butter mixture alternately with sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture
• Beat at low speed until just blended after each addition, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed
• Finally, stir in the cocoa mixture

• Beat egg whites in a large bowl at high speed with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form
• Gently stir one-third of egg whites into batter
• Fold in remaining egg whites

• Grease (with shortening) and flour 3 (9-inch) round cake pans
• Spoon batter into prepared pans
• Drop pans lightly on counter to release large air bubbles

• Bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean
• Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes
• Remove from pans and cool completely on racks (about 1 hour)

• Beat butter until smooth and has lightened in colour
• Add icing sugar half a cup at a time
• Beat on high speed for 10 seconds to lighten frosting
• Add vanilla and a pinch of salt and combine until all mixed
• Add milk, heavy cream, or half-and-half until frosting has reached a good consistency
• For firmer frosting add more icing sugar a quater cup at a time, for a softer frosting add more milk or cream a tablespoon at a time
• mix in crushed walnuts

• Spread the frosting between each layer and over top and the sides of the cake
• Put the cake in the fridge

• Garnish your cake with pecan halves and walnut bits

And you have your final product, a delicious Chocolate Brown Sugar Butter Cake with vanilla frosting