3ozunsweetened baking chocolate(3 squares - I think I used a combination of Ghiradelli's and Baker's chocolate)
2 ¼cupsflour
2teaspoonsbaking soda
1teaspoonsalt
1cupsour cream(8 oz)
1cupboiling water(I think mine was just hot, and not boiling)
Frosting
6.5ozsemisweet chocolate(about 1 cup - I think I used a combination of Ghiardelli's and Baker's Chocolate)
½cupwhipping cream
16tablespoonsbutter(2 sticks)
2 ½cupspowdered sugar
Instructions
Grind chocolate in food processor until powdered. Add flour, baking soda, and salt and pulse until completely combined, then set aside.
Beat together eggs and vanilla, and set aside.
With an electric mixer, cream butter briefly, then add brown sugar at medium speed. Reduce speed and add egg mixture. Alternate additions of flour mixture and sour cream, beginning and ending with flour. With mixer on low speed, slowly add boiling water until batter is thoroughly mixed. Batter will be thin.
Pour into floured and greased pan 9x3 inch deep round pan or 9x13 inch rectangle pan (use parchment paper if you like). Bake at 350F for 30 minutes, then reduce temperature to 300F and bake for another 30 minutes. Cake should be done when toothpick inserted halfway between center and edge is clean. (Alton says that the center would be gooey but will continue to cook when cake is removed from oven.) I baked a 9 inch round pan for an extra 15-20 minutes.
Cool for 15 minutes in pan, then turn out to cooling rack.
Frosting
For frosting, melt together chocolate, cream, and butter in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until smooth. Remove from heat and beat in powdered sugar with a hand mixer. Once sugar is blended, place saucepan in a bowl of ice and whip with hand mixer until frosting lightens and holds it shape.