The Cake

Cultural Transmission through Chocolate*

Ingredients

1/2 pint sour cream (you can add a couple extra spoonfuls)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup water

4 eggs

1 chocolate cake mix with pudding in the mix or 1 chocolate cake mix + small packet instant chocolate pudding

1 12oz package Nestle chocolate chips or 12 oz good dark chocolate chopped into small pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Combine ingredients in large bowl, adding chocolate chips last. Stir until mixed thoroughly. Pour cake batter into 2 well-greased loaf pans or well-greased round springform tube pan or bundt pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 45-55 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on rack. Do not remove cake from pan until it has cooled.

The only thing that can go wrong is taking the cake out at the wrong time. It's a bit tricky to figure out when it's done, and it's better when it is a bit undercooked than overcooked. When it is done, it will start to come away from the sides of the pan, the top should be firm and shiny (often cracked), and it should not jiggle too much when you gently nudge the pan. If you find out that it's not fully cooked, call it chocolate mousse cake and serve it warm with ice cream or heavy cream.

*from Shirley Licker to Naomi Silk to me