Perfect Chocolate Cake

ingredients

  • 1 cup cocoa

  • 2 cups boiling water

  • 1 cup butter, softened

  • 2 ½ cups sugar

  • 4 eggs

  • 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

  • 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

  • 2 tsp baking soda

  • ½ tsp baking powder

  • ½ tsp salt

directions

  • Combine cocoa and boiling water, stirring until smooth; set aside to cool.

  • Combine butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla; beat at high speed of electric mixer 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Combine dry ingredients; add to sugar mixture alternatively with cocoa mixture, beating at a low speed of mixer, and beginning and ending with flour mixture. Do not overbeat.

  • Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans. Bake at 350º for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool the layers completely.

  • Spread filling between layers, and spread frosting over top and sides of cake. Serve at once or refrigerate until ready to serve.

filling

  • 1 cup whipping cream

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • ¼ cup sifted powdered sugar

Beat whipping cream and vanilla until foamy; gradually adding powdered sugar, beating until stiff peaks. Chill.

frosting

  • 1 (6 oz) package semisweet chocolate morsels

  • About ½ cup half and half

  • ¾ cup butter

  • 2 ½ cups sifted powdered sugar

  • Combine chocolate, ½ cup half and half, and butter in a saucepan; cook over medium heat, stirring until chocolate melts. Remove from heat; add powdered sugar, mixing well.

  • Set saucepan on ice, and beat until frosting holds its shape and loses its gloss. Add a few more drops of half and half if needed to make spreading consistency.