A Wiseman’s Chocolate Cake

A Wiseman’s Chocolate Cake

Makes 8 to 10 servings

A rich, dark chocolate cake that melts in your mouth.

Pete Wiseman runs our busy bakery. He oversees all of the cakes, gravels, crusts, cookies, and anything else that comes out of our bakery kitchen and goes into our ice creams. He’s also a talented cake baker. So when I couldn’t get my chocolate cake to taste chocolatey enough, I turned to him.

This is what resulted from that consultation: his mom’s recipe for the birthday cake that she made for Pete every year when he was growing up. And it could not be more wonderful. The cake is dense, but it melts in your mouth, and it soaks up ice cream like a dream. Oh, and it doesn’t even require a mixer. It is as simple and delicious as can be. Thanks, Mrs. Wiseman! And happy birthday, Pete!

• 1¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour
• 1¼ cups sugar
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 4½ ounces unsweetened chocolate (99% cacao), finely chopped
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup hot coffee
• ⅔ cup sour cream
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Chocolate Glaze for serving
• Cocoa powder for dusting
• Ice cream of your choice for serving

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan. Place a round of parchment in the bottom and butter it, then dust the pan with flour, and shake out the excess.
2. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.
3. Combine the chocolate and cocoa. Pour the hot coffee over the mixture and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the sour cream, egg, and vanilla. Stir the sour cream mixture into the flour mixture until just combined.
4. Scrape the batter into the cake pan and smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Let cool completely in the pan on a rack.
5. Invert the cake and remove the parchment. A dusting of powdered sugar is all this cake needs. Or try it topped with a layer of Chocolate Glaze, dusted with cocoa powder, and served with a scoop of ice cream as in the photo.