Ingredients
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1 cup unsalted butter
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2 1/2 cups sugar
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2 cups boiling water
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1 cup cocoa powder
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4 eggs
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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2 3/4 cups flour or 2 3/4 cups cake flour
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2 teaspoons baking soda
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1/2 teaspoon baking powder
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
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2 teaspoons vanilla extract
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4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
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2 ounces bittersweet chocolate
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1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease and flour 3- 9 inch cake pans.
- Mix cocoa and boiling water, stir until smooth, set aside to cool.
- Sift dry ingredients together, set aside.
- In a large bowl beat butter sugar, eggs and vanilla together.
- Alternately beat in the dry ingredients and the chocolate mixture.
- Beat just until blended, do not overmix.
- Pour batter into the three greased pans and bake for about 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Remove cakes from oven and allow them to set for 3-5 minutes.
- Remove from pans and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
- Prepare filling by beating together cream, confectioner's sugar and vanilla until stiff.
- Set aside.
- Prepare frosting by melting the butter and chocolates together over low heat.
- Stir in the cream and mix until smooth.
- Remove the pan from the heat and place it in a large bowl filled with ice.
- Using an electric hand held mixer or a whisk (trust me, the electric mixer will be much easier), beat in the confectioner's sugar until the frosting holds a stiff shape.
- Chill.
- Before you put the cake together, make sure that everything has completely cooled.
- Divide the filling in two and spread it between the layers.
- Frost sides and top with the chocolate icing.
- Don't worry if some of the filling oozes out the sides while you are frosting them, just mix it into the frosting.