Since the cake is firm on the bottom and soft on top, it's important to invert the cake onto a plate then invert it back onto the wire rack to cool. Otherwise the soft top may end up sticking to the rack and tearing as it is removed.
by: Three Many Cooks
Serves: One 8-inch cake
Ingredients
2 cups sugar
1¾ cup cake flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon instant coffee
¾ cup boiling water
½ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 tablespoons butter, melted
4 egg whites, at room temperature
1 recipe Double Chocolate Frosting
Instructions
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 8-inch cake pans with vegetable cooking spray and dust with flour.
Whisk sugar, flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
Measure cocoa and coffee in a medium bowl. Whisk in water to form a smooth paste. Stir in sour cream and vanilla; set aside.
With a hand mixer, beat egg whites to soft peaks. Add melted butter to dry ingredients; without cleaning the beaters, mix until butter is completely incorporated. Immediately add cocoa mixture; beat until batter is smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully fold egg whites into batter until just incorporated.
Divide batter evenly between the two pans and bake until a skewer inserted into the center of each cake comes out with wet crumbs, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let cakes sit in pans to cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Invert each cake onto a plate, then onto a cooling rack so that it sits top side up; cool completely.
Split each cake to make 4 layers and frost.
Recipe by Three Many Cooks at https://threemanycooks.com/recipes/sweet-treats/a-chocolate-cake-thats-got-it-all/