Deeply Dark Devils Food Cake

MMMMMM.... cake. I love cake. I love chocolate. So when I was asked to bake a cake for my friend Ashlynne's birthday, who also loves chocolate, I knew this was the cake I had to bake. I used Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa powder and it was beyond deeply dark. It was black... and rich. I frosted it with a chocolate butter cream that I made with coffee instead of milk. This cake is so dark, it sucks up the light, so rich it could buy you a car. Serve it at room temperature to get the full creaminess of the frosting. It got eaten before I was able to take pictures, but I plan on making it again soon.

Deeply Dark Devils Food Cake
Makes 1 tall 9 inch cake layer

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoons salt
11 tablespoons unsatled butter, softened
1 1/2 cips granulated sugar
2/3 cup dutch process cocoa
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cup warm water
1 recipe "Especially Dark" Chocolate Frosting (recipe at the end)

Position rack in the cent or the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9x3 inch spring form pan (make sure that the pan has a tight-fitting bottom, to prevent the batter from leaking.). Dust the pan with flour.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl. Whisk until well blended, and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add the sugar and beat at high speed until the mixture is pale and well, blended, about 3 minutes. Add the cocoa powder and beat at medium speed for 1 minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract. At low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating it with the warm water in two additions. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix at low speed for 30 seconds. Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake the cake for 45 to 55 minutes for the full recipe, until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes.

Remove the sides of the pan and invert the cake onto the rack. Remove the bottom of the pan and let cake cool completely.

With a long,serrated knife (I used a bread knife), slice the cake in half horizontally to make two layers. Using 1/3 of the chocolate butter cream, spread onto the top of the bottom layer. Place the other layer on top. Frost the top and sides with the remaining frosting.

"The Cake Book" by Tish Boyle copyright 2006

"Especially Dark" Chocolate Frosting

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
2/3 cup Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa
3 cups powdered (confectioner or icing, depending on where you live)sugar
1/3 cup milk (I used strong coffee, make sure it's completely cool)
1 teaspoon Vanilla

Melt the butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount of additional milk if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

from the back of the Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa box.