Sour Cream Spice Cake

Cake
1 1/4 cups packed golden brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
3 eggs
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Sour cream frosting
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch salt

Chocolate glaze
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons milk
Walnut halves, optional

Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans. With an electric mixer, cream sugar and butter until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Combine flour, soda, baking powder, salt and spices. Beat flour mixture into sugar mixture, alternating with sour cream and beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Stir in chopped nuts.

Divide batter among pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until pick inserted in
center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on rack, then turn out onto racks to cool completely. Fill layers and frost top of cake with sour cream frosting. Pour glaze over frosting, spreading it with a spatula to cover top and letting glaze drip down sides. Decorate with walnut halves, if desired.

Sour cream frosting: In a large bowl, beat all frosting ingredients until smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes.

Chocolate glaze: In a small saucepan, melt chocolate with butter. Remove from heat and beat in sugar, adding milk gradually until mixture is a pourable consistency.

Serves: 12