Vanilla Bean Cake with Sour Cream Chocolate Frosting

This is from a while ago, forgive me for neglecting to update.  I've been very busy.  I moved to Chicago for the summer, I've started a new job and I'm finishing an important application.  When I was home at the end of May I made this cake for my dear brother's 23rd birthday.  Technically it was earlier in the month but this was the first time I had seen him since winter break.  One thing about my brother: he loves chocolate and this frosting has chocolate and lots of it.  It's seriously one of the best frostings you will ever eat.  

While I was selling cupcakes I had one person request a tub of just this icing to eat while finishing his finals.  Finals are dark times and this frosting is capable of pulling you out of the hole and into the sunshine, at least for a little while until you realize that you still have a crushing amount of work left and you're eating frosting with a spoon...See what I mean?  Dark times.  Anyway back to the real story.  Yummy Yummy Cake:

Vanilla Bean Cake

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1¾ cup granulated sugar

4 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

½ vanilla bean, seeds scraped out

2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

1½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

Sour Cream Chocolate Frosting 

 

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

6 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
4 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
2/3 cup plus 1 tbsp. sour cream

 

Cake:

 

1. Position the rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease two 9-inch cake pans.  Cut parchment paper into the shape of the pans, line the bottom of the pans and grease and flour them again.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

3. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the milk, vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds.  Set that aside too.

4. In the bowl of a mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Scrape down the sides several times during the process to make sure everything is incorporated.

5. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition.  With the mixer on low, alternatively add the flour mixture and vanilla/milk mixture in three batches.  When it is almost combined, stop the mixer and finish mixing the batter with a spatula.

6. Divide the batter into the two pans.  Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden and a cake tester comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing and frosting.

Frosting:

 

1. Melt the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water.  Set aside to cool until just barely warm.

2. In the bowl of a mixer beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high until pale and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.  Gradually add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder and salt.  Beat in the cooled chocolate and then the sour cream.  Continue to beat until well blended.  Frost the cake immediately before the chocolate hardens and sets.

Cake from Joy the Baker, frosting adapted from Annies-Eats.