Desserts

Chocolate Layer Cake

This is another recipe that I have used for years. It's not difficult but it does take a little planning. Use it with our Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.

Chocolate Layer Cake

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsifted unsweetened cocoa

• 2 cups boiling water

• 2¾ cups sift before measuring, then scoop and level off

• 2 tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp salt

• ½ tsp baking powder

• 1 cup butter, softened

• 2½ cups granulated sugar

• 4 eggs

• 1½ tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease well and flour 3 cake pans,

8 or 9-inch.

2. In medium heatproof bowl, combine cocoa with boiling water, mixing with whisk until smooth; cool completely.

3. Sift flour with baking soda, salt and baking powder. Set aside.

4. In large bowl of electric mixer combine butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Gradually turn it up to high speed and beat until light and fluffy, scraping bowl occasionally. At low speed, beat in the flour mixture alternating with the cocoa mixture, starting and ending

with flour. Do not overbeat.

5. Divide evenly into pans smoothing tops with spatula. Tap pans twice on the counter then bake 25 to 30 minutes until surface springs back when lightly pressed with fingertips. Cool in pans

10 minutes; making sure sides are loose remove from pans.

Cool on racks.

Options

• If I am not going to use the cake layers right away, I remove each

layer and place on a cooling rack, lay a large piece of plastic wrap over the cake pan (you don't have to wash it) then place a cake layer, right side up, in the pan and fold over the plastic wrap. Do this with each layer, then place them in the fridge for up to 2 days. Makes it so much easier to fill and frost too!

KEYWORDS

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