The BEST Chocolate Cake

This recipe originally came from The Joy of Baking, but I adapted it.

Ingredients:

4 oz. unsweetened chocolate

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup boiling water

2 1/4 cups all purpose or baking flour

1 3/4 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup unsalted butter

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour pan(s). (I use a springform pan.) Put chocolate and cocoa powder in a small bowl. Pour boiling water over and mix thoroughly. 

While that is cooling, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In mixing bowl, whip butter until it is fluffy. (It will change to an off-white color.) Add sugar slowly. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla. Slowly pour in chocolate mixture.

Next add milk and flour mixture alternating until they are used up. I recommend ending with milk. 

Pour into pan(s). Heat at 350 until toothpick comes out clean. If you're using 2 round cake pans, it should take 35-45 minutes. If you use the springform pan, it will take 1 hr-1 hr 15 min. Let cool in pan for 10-15 min. Let cool completely. Frost. Enjoy!

(Original recipe calls for 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, and 2 cups sugar. I had to adjust because the cake would fall in the middle as it was too moist. The sugar shouldn't matter too much, but if you're using smaller pans you may, or may not, wish to use the original measurements.)

Frosting:

1/4 cup unsweetened chocolate

2 tsp. butter

4 oz. cream cheese

1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)

1-2 tsp. vanilla

3 - 4 cups powdered sugar

2-3 tbsp. milk

Heat chocolate and unsweetened butter in microwave until melted (about 25-35 seconds). Mix.

In mixing bowl, beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add vanilla. Blend. Continue to mix, adding powdered sugar. Next pour milk in 1 tbsp. at a time until its of frosting consistency. 

I left the ingredients open to varying amounts, because I think frosting is something you should base on taste; if you are not using it to do a decorated cake. There's sort of a formula for the frosting when decorating a cake. So taste as you go and have fun!