Tall Chocolate Mocha Cake

   I am always looking to find my "Go To" chocolate cake.  A recipe that is so good I can use it for any occasion and it will be a hit ! That is not always so easy to do because I don't usually bake with heavy ingredients like Paula Dean. I like my treats to be somewhat healthy as well as fun and delicious. I think this chocolate mocha cake recipe falls somewhere in the middle between decadent Paula Dean and health conscious Joanne Teh. Let's take a look .
   For this cake I used whole milk, cream cheese and butter with no substitutes at all ! And the icing is pure sugar and cream cheese. Wow, it is this really my cake ? The answer is yes and I hope this cake will be enjoyed by all chocolate lovers who try it. Will this be the recipe that finally takes the prize ?

Recipe:
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup Hershey cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3 eggs separated
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 stick butter, melted with 1 oz of milk chocolate
1/2 cup of strong instant coffee
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven at 350. Lined bottom of 3 6inch cake pan with parchment paper.

In a bowl, measure flour, cocoa, 1 cup of sugar, baking powder and baking soda, Mix well, set aside.
In a mixing bow, stir together melted butter and chocolate.
Add in 1 cup of sugar, then mix in egg yolk and vanilla.
Mix in sour cream. Stir in 1/2 of coffee.
Gradually add and mix in 1/2 of the flour mixture, alternate with the other 1/2 of the coffee.

While preparing the above batter, in a mixer, beat egg while until it forms to a peak.
Gradually sprinkle in the other 1/2 of sugar.
Once the batter is ready, fold in the egg white.

Pour cake batter evenly divide among the 3 cake pan.
Bake for 30-35 minutes until cake comes out clean on toothpick.
Let cake cool for 15 mins, use a thin knife and go around the side of cake to loosen cake.
Ice cake with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting.
1 package 8oz cream cheese
1 3/4 stick of butter
1/4 cup of shortening ( or just use butter )
7 cup confectioner sugar
3 Tbs milk
1 tsp vanilla

1. Beat cream cheese until sooth, add butter and beat well. Add shortening and beat well too.
2. Stop mixer, add 1/2 of icing sugar, re-start mixing at slow speed until sugar is incorporated
then increase speed to mix frosting.
3. Repeat step 2 again.
4. Add milk 1 Tbsp at a time and adjust accordingly to consistency that you like. (so you could add 2 to 4 Tbsp of milk ), ice cake and store leftover in refrigerator on leftovers.