Chocolate Cake

• 2
  

  cups cake flour or 1 3/4 cups flour
  

• ¹⁄₂
  

  cup cocoa powder
  

• 2
  

  teaspoons baking powder
  

• ¹⁄₄
  

  teaspoon salt
  

• ¹⁄₂
  

  cup butter, plus
  

• 2
  

  tablespoons butter
  

• 1 ¹⁄₂
  

  cups sugar
  

• 2
  

  eggs
  

• 1
  

  teaspoon vanilla
  

• 1 ¹⁄₃
  

  cups milk
  

• 9
  

  ounces bittersweet chocolate or 9 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
  

• ¹⁄₂
  

  cup butter
  

directions

• Preheat oven to 350-degrees F.
• Spray 2 8-inch round (or heart shaped) pans with non-stick cooking spray (or use a bigger heart shaped pan, adjusting cooking time) and flour pans.
• In a bowl sift flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl beat butter using an electric mixer until soft (5 minutes). Add sugar gradulally while beaters are running and continue beating another 2 minutes or so.
• Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.
• Add vanilla and continue beating until blended.
• With mixer on low speed add flour alternatively with milk in three additions, stirring until mixed but stopping at least once to scrap down bowl.
• Divide batter into two pans (or use one larger pan).
• Bake for 25-30 minutes for 8-inch layer cakes or 40-45 minutes for a larger cake.
• Cool for 10 minutes in pans and then turn out onto a cake rack to finish cooling.
• While cake is cooling prepare glaze.
• To make glaze: combine chocolate and butter in top of a double boiler over simmering water. Cover and cook until mixture is melted and smooth.
• To assemble cakes: If using layer cakes, place one layer on serving plate (bottom up) and spread top with glaze, cover with top layer (top side up) and finish frosting with glaze.