Chocolate Cake with Buttercream Frosting

On a gloomy day, watching bad TV and all I could think about was cake. I was tempted to go to the store and just buy a slice, but realized I had everything I needed at home to bake to my hearts delight. I’ve been feelin’ chocolate lately, so a chocolate cake was in order. Then top it off with some light buttercream frosting, it’ll be awesome.

Ingredients for the chocolate cake:

• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup water

Preheat oven to 350F, grease two 9in. round pans.
Mix together the sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and set aside.

Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla to the dry ingredients. Mix the batter on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes.
In a small sauce pan, boil the cup of water and then add the cocoa powder to create the chocolate, then add the chocolate to the cake mix. Mix on medium speed for another minute.

Don’t be alarmed at how thin the batter is! Pour the batter evenly into the two cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, insert a tooth pick into the center of the cakes and it should come out clean.

Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for about 10-15 minutes, then remove them and continue to cool on a rack.
While the cakes cool, let’s get started on the buttercream.
I initially wanted to make an Italian buttercream, but I wanted cake immediately and knew that American buttercream was faster!
Ingredients for the buttercream:

• 3 cups of confectioners’ sugar
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons of whipping cream

On medium speed, cream together the sifted sugar and butter in a medium bowl until smooth.

Add the vanilla and the cream, mix for another minute until well blended.

Now, it’s time to assemble the cake!
If the tops of the cakes are a bit dome-like, cut the dome off to make it more of a flat surface. I don’t have a cake cutter, but a sharp knife worked just as well.

First layer of the cake is set in it’s stand, frost the top and then add the second layer of the cake.

Frost the whole of the cake. Now eat! (My apologies, as I’m not the most delicate cake froster.) Enjoy!