Dear Abby's Fabulous Chocolate Cake & Fluffy White Frosting

CAKE:
3 oz (3 squares) unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup butter (1 cube)
1 cup water
2 cups sifted cake flour
1-1/4 ts baking soda
1 ts salt
1 cup dairy sour cream (or 1/2 cup buttermilk)
2 eggs
2 cups sugar
1-1/2 ts vanilla

FLUFFY FROSTING
2 egg whites (room temp)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 ts cream of tartar
2-1/2 ts water
1 ts vanilla
Dash of salt

DRIZZLE:
1 oz. (1 square) unsweetened chocolate
1 tbsp butter

Heat oven to 350º.
Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans.
In top of double boiler, melt chocolate, butter and water over simmering water. Cool.
Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In large bowl, sift together flour, soda and salt. Set aside.
In large bowl, beat eggs and sour cream until well blended. Add sugar and vanilla; beat well. Stir in cooled chocolate mixture. Add dry ingredients, one-half at a time; blending at low speed just until smooth. Batter will be thin.

Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350ºF for 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Loosen edges with knife and invert onto cake racks. Cool completely. In top of double boiler, beat egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, salt and water until well blended. Cook over simmering water, beating constantly with electric beater, about 7 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Fill and frost cake.

In small saucepan, melt chocolate and butter over very low heat, stirring constantly. Do not boil. Drizzle over top of frosted cake allowing chocolate to drip down sides.

Serves: 12

Source: Dear Abby's favorite recipes, by Abigail Van Buren - 1987, 1988.