#sour-cream

#sour-cream

Mastering chocolate cake is a great first step for those learning how to craft desserts, and Stewart's website features an easy chocolate cake recipe that makes quick work of the confection. The secret to her perfectly moist cake? Sour cream. Though "sour" seems counterintuitive to a sweet treat, this ingredient provides the right moisture and acidity for a fudgey chocolate cake with a spectacularly soft crumb.

That base is jammed full of chopped pecans, but the real secret ingredient is a dollop of sour cream. The tart dairy works twofold: first, helping to prevent crystallization, and second, keeping the pie from becoming overly sweet. A bigger dollop of sour cream goes into the whipped topping, giving it noticeable tang. This is another point of flavor balance, but it also stabilizes it, so that it doesn't weep or dissolve on your Thanksgiving buffet.

Sour cream is best when gently warmed or added at the end of cooking to hot dishes, as high heat can cause it to separate and curdle.

Seasoned sour cream takes an already tangy spread and gives it even more flavor by mixing in various herbs, spices, and seasonings for personalized dips.