(NAPSI)-Americans are in love with chocolate cake! Research shows that it’s a favorite for most of us-in fact, chocolate cake is more than seven times as popular as white cake!

Chocolate’s roots come from the Americas, where it was first used as a drink, often flavored with chili pepper. Chocolate drinks became known to Europeans in the early 1500s, who flavored chocolate drinks with spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg. But while chocolate has been popular for centuries, chocolate cake only became popular in the U.S. in the middle of the 20th century, when high-quality baking chocolate became more widely available to American home bakers.

This year, Nestlé is celebrating its 150th anniversary. Nestlé’s products include everything from coffee and prepared meals to sparkling water and pet food, but the company is probably best known for its chocolate products and confections, such as NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Dark Chocolate Morsels, NESQUIK® and BUTTERFINGER®. So to mark this special occasion, Nestlé is offering its “best” gift-its recipe for the “Very Best Chocolate” Cake.

“Chocolate cake is great for any celebration, whether a birthday, anniversary, holiday or a spontaneous gathering with loved ones,” said Jenny Harper, manager of Nestlé’s Baking Test Kitchens. “This chocolate cake recipe is easy to make with common ingredients, and it’s so delightfully delicious it is perfect to make any occasion more special. We couldn’t think of a better gift to share for our 150th birthday!”

The “Very Best Chocolate” Cake from NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE®

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Bake Time: 33 minutes

Refrigerator Time: 1 hour

Makes 16 servings

CAKE:

1? cups granulated sugar

1? cups all-purpose flour

? teaspoon baking soda

? teaspoon salt

1 cup strong NESCAFÉ® Coffee

1 cup (6 ounces) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Dark Chocolate Morsels

? cup vegetable oil

? cup sour cream, room temperature

2 large eggs, room temperature

1? teaspoons vanilla extract

FROSTING:

?/3 cup heavy whipping cream

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ?-inch pieces

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

3 tablespoons water

?/8 teaspoon salt

1?/3 cups (10 ounces) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Dark Chocolate Morsels

? teaspoon vanilla extract

FOR CAKE:

PREHEAT oven to 325° F. Grease two 8-inch-round cake pans. Line bottoms with wax paper.

COMBINE sugar, flour, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Bring coffee to simmer in small, heavy-duty saucepan. Remove from heat. Add 1 cup morsels; whisk until chocolate is melted and smooth. Cool slightly.

WHISK vegetable oil, sour cream, eggs and vanilla extract in another large bowl to blend. Add chocolate-coffee mixture; whisk to blend well. Add one-third of chocolate-sour cream mixture to dry ingredients; whisk to blend well. Add remaining chocolate-sour cream mixture in 2 more additions, whisking well after each addition. Divide batter equally between prepared pans. (Batter will be thin.)

BAKE for 33 to 35 minutes or until wooden picks inserted in centers come out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Run knife around edges of cakes. Invert onto wire racks; remove wax paper. Cool completely. Spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake. Store any leftover cake in refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.

FOR FROSTING:

BRING cream, butter, sugar, water and salt to simmer in medium, heavy-duty saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Immediately add 1?/3 cups morsels; let stand for 2 minutes. Whisk until melted and smooth. Add vanilla extract. Pour into medium bowl. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour or until thick enough to spread.

A chocolate cake can be a great way to celebrate a special birthday or any occasion.