Sour Cream Marble Layer Cake

When my friend Susan emailed "birthday," I replied, "cake."

You see, the last time I had the pleasure of hanging out with Susan, she made ginormous homemade cinnamon rolls with vanilla pudding, like whoa. So when I thought of her birthday, sinful pastry delight and hence of the best confection in all of Birmingham, the Pastry Art Bake Shoppe baby bite, came to mind, specifically the marble one with chocolate frosting I tend to rave about editorially and in person whenever possible.

And then I thought layer cake. And birthday candles too.

Thanks, Laura, for styling the birthday girl slice so purdy.

Question from menfolk of the evening: So how do you make cake "like that"?

Answer: You put one spoonful of vanilla batter in the pan. Then shake it so it sets. Then do the same with chocolate batter. And then repeat lots 'o times. And then it gets all swirly.

I even saved some swirly cake batter for four lil' cupcakes for my weekly Downton viewing party gals to eat while we watched Mary and Matthew twirl, ohhh the delight.

Sour Cream Marble Cake
Adapted from Lola Elise

6 eggs
1 ½ cups sugar
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) butter, melted
1 ½ cups (12 oz.) sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1 ½ tsp. baking soda
1 ½ tsp. vinegar
2 ¼ cup all purpose flour
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted
Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting (see below)

In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar for about five minutes. Add butter, sour cream and vanilla, mixing well.

In a separate small bowl, stir together baking soda and vinegar; it will get bubbly.

Add soda/vinegar mixture and flour to large bowl and mix, beating on medium speed.

Scoop half of the batter into a separate bowl and mix in melted chocolate until thoroughly mixed in.

Grease two 8-inch cake pans. To marble, place a large spoon in each batter bowl. Place one spoonful of vanilla batter in each pan. Shake each pan so that the batter spreads out. Place a spoonful of chocolate batter on top of each vanilla dollop; shake to spread. Repeat until all the batter is in the pans.

Bake cakes at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until tester comes out clean.

When cake has cooled, prepare frosting and spread on one layer. Set the second layer on top and spread remaining icing on top.

Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting
Adapted from About.com Southern Food (as first created by Hannah)

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

Place chocolate chips and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for one minute. Stir. Microwave for 15 second increments, stirring after each increment, until melted. Stir in sour cream and vanilla. Pour mixture in a large bowl. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until it has reached desired consistency.