Perfect Chocolate Cake

By Lobster

From Kathy Jones (and Southern Living Magazine) Makes 3 layered cake plus ganache type fudge frosting….and whipped cream filling.

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry cocoa powder
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 cup real butter, softened to room temp
• 2 1/2 cups white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 3/4 cup flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• See below for ingredients for filling & frosting***

Preparation

Step 1

Combine cocoa & boiling water, stirring until smooth…set aside to cool (or place in fridge).
Combine butter, sugar, eggs, & vanilla. Beat 5 MINUTES on high speed until light and fluffy.
In separate bowl, combine dry ingredients and gradually add to sugar mixture ALTERNATELY with cocoa mixture…. beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

Pour into THREE 9 inch round cake pans (greased & floured) Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes. Cool10minutes and removed from pan to complete cooling.

FILLING: 1 cup heavy cream, 1 tsp vanilla, ¼ cup powdered sugar. Beat cream & vanilla until foamy, add powdered sugar until peaks hold shape. Use it to fill/frost between the layers.

FROSTING: 8 oz chocolate chips (semi-sweet) ½ cup ½ & ½ creamer, ¾ cup butter. 2 ½ cups sifted powdered sugar.
Combine chips, ½ & ½ and butter n saucepan/ Cook over medium heat, stirring until chocolate melts. Removed from heat. Add powdered sugar, mixing well. Set saucepan in bowl of ICE. Beat until frosting holds its shape and looses it’s gloss. Add drops of ½ & ½ as needed to make spreading consistency. Frost exterior of filled stacked layered cake. Store in refrigerator due to cream filling.

REVISION 11/12/15: If you only have a STAND mixer.....pour your melted butter, 1/2 & 1/2 and butter mixture into the bowl for your stand mixer. Place splatter screen over mixing bowl and mix at high speed until it cools off...close to room them. Then put bowl with liquid frosting in freezer for 10-15 min (at least) until cools down and forms a "crust". Return to mixer and whip....scraping down bowl as needed. If not yet firm enough to spread frosting....return to freezer and chill longer. Whip again. When consistency is right....this spreads easily. Keep in refrigerator once you frost cake!