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2 teaspoons vanilla extract

½ teaspoon salt

¾ cup confectioners’ sugar

Place the melted chocolate in a large bowl. With the electric beaters running at low speed, beat in the sour cream until smooth, then beat in the butter in half-stick increments, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat in the vanilla and salt, then the confectioners’ sugar until smooth.

Place the bowl in the refrigerator and chill until the mixture begins to set and holds its shape when mounded on a spatula, about 1 hour. Frost the cake, then set it back in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes until the icing sets up. Let stand for 20 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Chocolate Mousse Frosting

Makes enough frosting for a two-layer cake

4 large egg whites, at room temperature

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cream of tartar

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup water

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, melted in the microwave or in a double boiler over simmering water and cooled

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place the egg whites and salt in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar, raise the speed to high, and beat until soft peaks can be formed by dipping the turned-off beaters into the mixture. Set aside.

Place the sugar, water, and corn syrup in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Clip a candy thermometer to the inside of the pan, raise the heat to high, and cook undisturbed until the temperature reaches 250°F. Immediately remove the pan from the heat.

Beat the egg whites again for 5 seconds at medium speed, then begin adding the hot sugar syrup at the slowest drizzle, beating all the while at medium speed. Once all the sugar syrup has been added, continue beating until room temperature, about 5 minutes.

Beat in the butter in 2-tablespoon increments, scraping down the sides of the pan as necessary.

Beat in the melted chocolate and vanilla, then continue beating until quite soft, almost like a mousse, about 5 more minutes. The frosting will not firm up like a traditional buttercream; rather, it will remain soft, spreadable, and airy. Once the cake’s been frosted, refrigerate for at least 2 hours to set the icing, but let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.

You can also frost the Chocolate Layer Cake with:

a double batch of Italian Meringue Icing

Chocolate Whipped Cream

Mocha Mousse Frosting: Stir 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder into the melted chocolate before adding it to the beaten egg whites.

Mint Chocolate Frosting: Substitute ½ teaspoon mint extract for the vanilla extract.

White Chocolate Mousse Frosting: Substitute white chocolate, melted and cooled, for the bittersweet or semisweet chocolate; omit the vanilla extract.

White Chocolate Orange Mousse Frosting: Substitute white chocolate, melted and cooled, for the bittersweet or semisweet chocolate; substitute orange extract for the vanilla extract.

Coconut Layer Cake with Seven-Minute Frosting

Here’s a Southern favorite—and no wonder: the marshmallowy frosting perfectly complements the rich, coconut-laced layers. Note the two kinds of coconut: sweetened and unsweetened. Makes one 8-inch two-layer cake

8 tablespoons (1 stick) cool unsalted butter, cut into chunks, plus additional for greasing the pans

2 cups cake flour, plus additional for dusting the pans

2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut

1½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1¼ cups sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

½ teaspoon almond extract

¾ cup milk (regular, low-fat, or fat-free)

½ cup shredded sweetened coconut

Seven-Minute Frosting (recipe follows)

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter two 8-inch round cake pans; dust them with flour, knocking out the excess but making sure they are evenly coated.

Spread the unsweetened coconut onto a large baking sheet and toast in the oven