Chocolate Ganache Velvet Pound Cake with chocolate dipped strawberries

 Summer time parties should be as fun for the hostess as the guests. That is why I love this chocolate pound cake packing a lot of punch for not much work. Bake the cake, drizzle the ganache, decorate with chocolate dipped strawberries and you have a cake that will dazzle you guest!

Ingredients

                 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels 

                 1/2 cup butter, softened  

                 1 (16 ounce) packages light brown sugar 

                 3 large eggs  

                 2 cups all purpose flour 

                 1 teaspoon baking soda  

                 1/2 teaspoon salt 

                 1 (8 ounce) containers sour cream  

                 1 cup hot water 

                 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

                 Chocolate Ganache

                 Vanilla ice cream

                 9 strawberries, washed with stems 

Directions

1. Melt semisweet chocolate morsels in a microwave-safe bowl at HIGH for 30-second intervals until melted (about 1 1/2 minutes total time). Stir until smooth.
2. Beat butter and brown sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer, beating about 5 minutes or until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add melted chocolate, beating just until blended.
3. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to chocolate mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Gradually add 1 cup hot water in a slow, steady stream, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in vanilla. Use immediately, following directions for desired cake.
4. Spoon batter evenly into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan. Bake at 350° for 55 to 65 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and let cool completely on wire rack.
5. Sift powdered sugar over top of cake.
6. Dip small spoonfuls of warm ganache over cake.
7. Decorate with chocolate dipped strawberries 

  Ganache
      1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate morsels
      1/2 cup whipping cream
      3 tablespoons butter

      1. Microwave chocolate morsels and whipping cream in a 2-quart glass bowl at medium 2 1/2 to 
          3 minutes or until melted. Whisk until smooth then whisk in butter. Let stand 30 minutes. Beat
          at medium speed with electric mixture for 3 to 4 minutes. Dip strawberries in chocolate 
         Ganache. Place on wax paper and chill.