Perfect Chocolate Cake

Photo: flickr user foooooey

Ingredients

1 cup cocoa, unsweetened

2 cups boiling water

2 3/4 cups unbleached white flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup butter

2 1/2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Frosting:

6 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate

1 cup butter

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour three 9-inch round cake pans.

Combine the cocoa with boiling water, stirring until smooth. Cool completely. Sift together the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the cocoa mixture to the creamed mixture. Do not overmix. Blend just enough to moisten the dry ingredients.

Pour the batter into the cake pans. Bake for 24-30 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes and then remove the cake from the pans to cool completely before frosting.

While the cake is cooling, prepare the frosting. In a medium saucepan, melt the unsweetened baking chocolate and butter. Stir in the cream until smooth. Remove the pan from the stove and place it in a large bowl filled with ice. Using a whisk or electric mixer, beat in the powdered sugar until the frosting holds a stiff shape. Chill. Whip all the filling ingredients together until stiff. Chill.

Construct the cake when all the parts are cool. Spread the filling between the layers and the frosting on the top and sides.