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Perfect Chocolate Cake

By microbiology1
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2024 Cake Central
Printed From https://www.cakecentral.com/recipe/16534/perfect-chocolate-cake 2024-04-23

This is my mother’s Perfect Chocolate Cake. It is a favorite of all the chocolate lovers in our lives.

Ingredients

  • Cake:
  • 1 C unsweetened cocoa
  • 2 C boiling water
  • 2 ½ C sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 C butter, softened
  • 2 ¾ C flour
  • 2 t. baking soda
  • ½ t. baking powder
  • ½ t. salt
  • 1 ½ t. vanilla

  • Filling:

  • 1 C heavy cream
  • ½ C confectioner’s sugar
  • 1 t. vanilla

  • Frosting:

  • 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • ½ C light cream
  • 1 C butter
  • 2 ½ C confectioner’s sugar

Instructions

  1. Cake
    In a medium bowl, combine cocoa with boiling water. Beat with a whisk until smooth. Cool completely. Sift flour with baking soda, salt, and baking powder. In a large bowl, at high speed, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla, scraping often, until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). At low speed beat in flour mixture (in fourths) alternately with the cocoa mixture (in thirds); begin and end with flour mixture. Do not overbeat. Grease and flour three 9 ” layer pans. Divide batter evenly. Place plans in cold oven. Turn oven to 250°F and bake ~ 35 minutes. Test with cake tester. Baking at this temperature makes the layers bake flat. Remove cake from pans and cool on wire racks.

Filling
Whip cream with sugar and vanilla. Spread between cooled cake layers.

Frosting *
In a medium pan, combine chocolate chips, cream, and butter. Stir over medium heat until smooth. Remove from heat. Cool. With a wire whisk, blend in confectioner’s sugar. Set frosting in a bowl of ice for 5 to 10 minutes. With frosting still over the pan of ice, beat until it holds its shape (thin with water if necessary). Frost cake with spatula. Cover sides and then top of cake. Sprinkle with chopped nuts if desired. Refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

Refrigerate cake when it is not being served.

*Although delicious this is not a decorating frosting. It does not crust well and must be refrigerated to solidify. It is best to press pre-made royal icing, fondant, or gum paste decorations directly into the frosting.