Four Layer Devil's Food Cake

{chocolate; possibly the number one love of my life}
This is my first time making a layer cake. This is also my first time making cake batter (and chocolate frosting) from scratch. Also, my first time using baking cocoa. Seriously, I'd never used it before. I think for my first time, I did pretty dang good! I was amazed at my self! I'll admit that buying a cake mix from a box is a million times easier and faster, but the satisfaction I got from making it from scratch is incomparable.

Ingredients:
5 oz. (140 g) semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
2/3 cup butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
3 eggs, separated
4 tablespoons sour cream
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
Frosting:
5 oz. (140 g) semisweet chocolate
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
4 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoons corn syrup
3 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons water
1 3/4 cup powdered (icing) sugar

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325F. Grease two 8 inch round cake pans. Break up the chocolate (I used chocolate chips) and place with the milk and cocoa in a heat proof bowl set over a pot of gently boiling water, stirring until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat. (Check out my little invention for this... haha!)

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, then the sour cream and melted chocolate mixture. Sift in the flour and baking soda, fold in evenly. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites until stiff enough to hold firm peaks. Fold into the mixture lightly and evenly.
Divide the mixture between the cake pans, smooth the surface, and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until risen and firm to the touch. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

For the frosting, place the chocolate, cocoa, sour cream, corn syrup, butter, and water in pot and heat gently without boiling, until melted. Remove from the heat and add the powdered sugar, stirring until smooth. Cool, stirring occasionally, until the mixture begins to thicken and holds its shape. Split the cakes in  half horizontally with a sharp knife to make four layers. Sandwich the cakes together with about a third of the frosting. Spread the remainder over the top and sides of the cakes, swirling with a metal spatula.

 Original recipe taken from my new cookbook: