Cold Chocolate Snacking Cake

I guess I'm walking down memory lane this week, first the Icebox Cake, now this....do any of you remember Sara Lee chocolate cake, the kind that came in the little tin foil pan with the cardboard cover on it?  The chocolate cake was dense and moist, and the frosting was thick and creamy.  It was always eaten cold from the refrigerator, and the box was pretty small, so getting to it before the rest of the family did was pretty important.  The mouth feel of that cake plus that frosting was unbelievable.  You could cut it into cold slivers and snack on it continuously.  Ok, I'm getting a little carried away but it's been one of those lingering food memories, and they don't make it anymore.

To be honest I wasn't expecting to nail this right away. I figured the cake would rise too much, be too dry, or too fluffy.  I thought it would be tough to get the texture of the frosting just right, and most of all I was sure it wouldn't slice as sharply as it did in my memories.  But it all came together, and on the first try!  You are going to love this, even if you have no idea what I'm blathering about.

Just remember, this isn't a cake to serve at the end of a meal, or for a special occasion, or anything like that; this is a cake to squirrel away in the refrigerator and attack every now and again with a knife (I recommend leaving it alongside the cake at all times.)  It cuts cleanly, with sharp edges, so you can take the smallest shard if you want to.  No matter, it will melt in your mouth like a piece of fudge, only better.

The cake part is slightly adapted from Martha Stewart's Easy Chocolate Cake, the frosting is my own, and the result is pure nirvana.
One note before you start, I used a rather unusual 8x12 nonstick tart pan that I happened to have because I wanted the cake to be on the thin side.  You can use an 8x8 or 9x9 square pan, but you will have some extra batter leftover.  Maybe you could make a couple of cupcakes or something.  A 9x13 pan would make the cake even thinner, and you'd have to really watch it to avoid overcooking.
Chocolate Snacking Cake
oven to 350

• Spray an 8x12 pan with cooking spray
  

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

• In a medium bowl, whisk the cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream

• In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture alternating with sour cream, starting and ending with the flour mixture.

• Spread batter into prepared pan. Tap pan firmly on counter top several times to force out large air bubbles. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. 

Chocolate Frosting
1 cup heavy cream
6 oz good semi sweet chocolate, chopped

• Heat the cream in a 2 cup glass measuring cup in the microwave until simmering.
• Add in the chocolate and let sit for a few minutes.
• Stir until smooth and glossy and the chocolate is all melted.

1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/3 cup dark cocoa powder

• Add the sugar and cocoa powder and whisk until completely smooth.  Refrigerate for about an hour and then spread or pour over the cake.  Put the cake back in the refrigerator to chill until the frosting is set.  I like to leave it there for a couple of hours.  Serve cold.

Maybe I'm obsessing about childhood foods because both my sisters will be here this weekend.  The three of us haven't been together in a while. 

I really hope there's a sliver or two left for them.