Chocolate Cake with Bittersweet Chocolate Glaze

Cake:

2 c sifted cake flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c butter at room temperature
1 1/2 c sugar
3 large eggs, separated
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1 c sour cream

Glaze:

1/2 c heavy cream
3 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp dark rum

Preheat oven to 350 degrees; grease two 9" round cake pans, then line with parchment paper. Grease and flour parchment paper.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

Beat butter with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy. Gradually add sugar, then beat until mixture has increased in volume and is light and fluffy (about 8 minutes). Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and chocolate.

Keeping mixer on, alternately add the flour mixture and the sour cream to the batter, beginning and ending with flour and beating until just combined.

In a separate bowl, using clean beaters, beat egg whites at medium speed until peaks are stiff but not dry. With a rubber spatula, fold 1/3 whites into batter until well mixed. Gently fold in remaining whites until just blended. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake about 25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in middle comes out clean. Let cool 15 minutes in pans, then invert onto racks to cool completely.

To make glaze: bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and add chocolate. Whisk until smooth. Stir in the rum. With a spatula, spread 1/3 glaze over each cake layer. Set one layer on top of the other and drizzle remaining glaze over the sides.

NOTES
From "Chocolate Astrology" by Joy Nagy.
Untried.