Chocolate Velvet Pound Cake
1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
½ cups butter, softened
2 cups light brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 cup sour cream
1 cup hot water
2 tsp vanilla
¼ cup powdered sugar
Chocolate Ganache
Melt semisweet chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl at HIGH for 30-second intervals until melted (about 1 ½ minutes total time). Stir until smooth.
Beat butter and brown sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer 5 minutes or until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add melted chocolate, beating just until blended.
Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to chocolate mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Gradually add 1 cup hot water in a slow, steady stream, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in vanilla.
Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan. Bake at 350° for 60 to 65 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes. Remove from pan, and let cool completely on wire rack.
Sift powered sugar over top of cake. Serve with chocolate Ganache and ice cream.
Yield: 12 servings
Chocolate Ganache
1 (12-oz) package semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup whipping cream
3 T butter
Microwave chocolate chips and whipping cream in a 2-quart glass bowl at MEDIUM for 2 ½ to 3 minutes or until chips begin to melt. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in butter, and let stand 30 minutes. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer 3 to 4 minutes. Yiield: 1 ½ cups.