Super Rich Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Lucas requested this cake for his 16th birthday and everyone thought it was delicious. I did have some trouble with the original cake recipe overflowing in my cake pans and sinking in the middle, so this recipe is going to be altered to adjust for high-altitude cooking. Enjoy!

Super Rich Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbl unsweetened dark cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 Tbl vanilla
• 2 Tbl espresso powder
• 1 cup boiling water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer), shift together your dry ingredients (sugar, flour, cocoa baking powder, baking soda, salt). Mix together completely.
3. In another bowl, whisk together wet ingredients (eggs, milk, oil, vanilla).
4. Mix together your wet ingredients with your dry ingredients until just incorporated. Do not over mix. Scrape down your bowl. 
5. In a glass measuring cup, mix together your boiling water and espresso powder. Carefully and slowly mix this coffee mixture into your cake batter until fully combined. Do not over mix. Scrape down your bowl.
6. Divide the batter evenly between your two prepared cake pans. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Let cool in pans for 30 minutes. Then transfer out of pans to a wire rack to cool completely. When cool, assemble and frost as desired.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

• 4 sticks butter, room temperature
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 3 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, melted but not hot
• milk or heavy cream for thinning, if needed

Directions:

1. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter and vanilla for 5-10 minutes, until creamy and smooth.
2. Add half of your powdered sugar and beat on low for 3 minutes. Then add the rest of your powdered sugar and beat for another 3 minutes.
3. Carefully pour the melted chocolate into the mixer and mix on low speed until incorporated. Both butter and chocolate need to be close to room temperature or they won't mix together well. Cold butter will make the chocolate seize and hot chocolate will melt the butter.
4. Once the chocolate is incorporate into your frosting, beat the entire mixture for another 4-5 minutes, or until light and fluffy to your liking.
5. Optionally, add two tsp of instant espresso powder for a mocha flavor.