This time of year, quick and easy is the way to go! Below is a direct reprint of The New York Times recipe for Chocolate Dump-It Cake. It is super easy and spectacular to give as a hostess gift or if you need to bring a cake to a party. It is dense and delicious.  Feel free to take liberty. I added a bit more chocolate and I used a Bundt pan.  I also cut back on the sour cream and added some vanilla to the frosting. It seemed to tart for me.

Happy Baking.

What you need:

• 2 cups sugar
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 1 stick unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pan
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 ½ cups Nestle’s semisweet-chocolate chips
• 1 ½ cups sour cream, at room temperature

What to do:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and place a baking sheet on the lowest rack to catch any drips as the cake bakes on the middle rack. In a 2- to 3-quart pot, mix together the sugar, unsweetened chocolate, butter and 1 cup of water. Place over medium heat and stir occasionally until all of the ingredients are melted and blended. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
2. Meanwhile, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, stir together the milk and vinegar. Grease and flour a 9-inch tube pan (Tip: Be meticulous, and really work the butter and flour into the crevices of the pan. This is a moist cake, so it really needs a well-prepared pan to keep it from sticking).
3. When the chocolate in the pot has cooled a bit, whisk in the milk mixture and eggs. In several additions, and without over mixing, whisk in the dry ingredients. When the mixture is smooth, add the vanilla and whisk once or twice to blend. Pour the batter into the tube pan and bake on the middle rack until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool on a rack. (This can be tricky — if someone is around to help, enlist him.) Let cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler, then let cool to room temperature. Stir in the sour cream, 1/4 cup at a time, until the mixture is smooth.
5. When the cake is cool, you may frost it as is or cut it in half so that you have 2 layers (if you used the tube pan). There will be extra icing whether you have 1 or 2 layers.

 special thanks to the author, AMANDA HESSER posted on 11/8/16/image Danny Ghitis for The New York Times