2 c  All-purpose flour
     2 ts Baking soda
   1/2 ts Salt
   1/2 c  Unsalted butter; soften
 2 1/4 c  Brown sugar, packed
     3    Eggs
     4 oz Bitter chocolate
          -melted and cooled
 1 1/2 ts Pure vanilla
     1 c  Sour cream
     1 c  Coffee
          -prepared very strong
 This rich cake is from Mendocino’s CAFE BEAUJOLAIS. Chef Margaret Fox makes
 it for birthdays, and those adventuresome couples who want a chocolate
 wedding cake. It is usually served with Creme Fraiche Chocolate Frosting
 (recipe on separate post).
   Sift together flour, baking soda and salt.  Beat butter, sugar and eggs
 for 5 minutes in the bowl of an electric mixer until very light and fluffy.
 Beat in chocolate and vanilla. Stir in about 1/3 of the dry ingredients,
 half the sour cream, another 1/3 of the dry ingredients, the rest of the
 sour cream, and finally the remainder of the dry ingredients. Stir JUST
 until mixed.
    Stir in hot coffee, and pour into two 9 inch square pans greased and
 lined with waxed paper.  Strike each pan on the edge of the counter or drop
 several times onto the floor from a height of 6 inches to release air
 bubbles.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Cool pans on a wire rack for
 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge, turn out, and cool completely.
 Sharron Solomon
                 
                 Yields       
                10 Servings                
