Sour Cream Chocolate Cake recipe from 1939

Sometimes these old recipes are hit and miss. This one, from the Soothsayer Recipe Book published in 1939, is a hit. The chocolate is light and not overwhelming. The cream cheese frosting is rich and delicious.

INGREDIENTS

Cake:

• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar (200g)
• 1 ⅓ cups all purpose flour (160g)
• 2 eggs, separated
• 1 cup sour cream
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 oz. chocolate

Frosting:

• 250g cream cheese
• 2 tbsp milk (optional)
• 2 oz. chocolate, melted and cooled
• Pinch of salt
• 2 cups powdered sugar (240g)

Note: All ingredients should be room temperature unless otherwise stated.

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C
• Grease and line two 8-inch cake pans

Cake:

1. Cream butter until smooth.
2. Add sugar, continues creaming.
3. Add well beaten egg yolks.
4. Add baking soda to the sour cream and mix well.
5. Add sour cream to butter mixture.
6. Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl and set aside.
7. Melt 2 oz of chocolate and add enough warm water to make ½ cup of liquid.
8. Add flour mixture alternately with chocolate to butter/sour cream mixture -- beginning and ending wth the flour mixture.
9. Beat until light.
10. Mix in vanilla.
11. Beat 2 egg whites stiff and fold into batter.
12. Pour batter into two greased 8-inch cake pans.
13. Bake at 350°F/175°C for 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
14. Cool in pans for 15 minutes, then turn onto cake rack to fully cool.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting:

1. Cream cheese.
2. Mix in powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time.
3. Add 2 oz of melted and cooled chocolate. 
4. Add a pinch of salt. (If the frosting is tight, add milk 1 tbsp at a time to loosen.)

Once the cake layers have fully cooled, frost cake as you like. 

Enjoy. :)

Original recipe from 1939: