Very Good Chocolate Cake

From "The Gift of Southern Cooking" by Edna Lewis & Scott Peacock. This cake is incredibly moist and rich! If you have any leftovers, don't refrigerate, simply cover and leave at room temperature.

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Serves: 12-16
• Yields: 1 two-layer cake

Ingredients

• 2  cups granulated sugar
• 1 1⁄2 cups cake flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 3⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1  cup  hot double-strength brewed coffee
• 4  ounces  unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
• 2  eggs, at room temperature
• 1⁄2 cup  vegetable oil
• 1⁄2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Sift together the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda in a bowl. In a separate bowl, pour the hot coffee over the chopped chocolate, and allow chocolate to melt completely.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together until well blended the eggs and vegetable oil, followed by the sour cream, vanilla, and coffee-chocolate mixture. Stir the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients by thirds, stirring well after each addition until completely blended.
4. Divide the batter evenly between two buttered and floured parchment-lined 9-inch cake pans. Drop each cake pan once onto the counter from a height of 3 inches to remove any air pockets (these would cause holes or tunnels in the baked cake layers.)
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, until the cake springs back slightly when gently tapped in the center OR when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove immediately to cooling racks, and allow to rest for 5 minutes before turning out of the pans. Allow cakes to cool completely before peeling off the parchment bottoms and frosting.
6. Enjoy the most moist, rich, chocolate chocolate cake you'll ever eat!