After a week and a weekend of not feeling very well, I was going a little stir crazy with own company and my own sofa.  I knew I wasn’t well enough to go out and of course I couldn’t really invite folks over for fear of spreading germs.  I needed to do something and that something was bake, which I like to do when feeling under the weather.  I have absolutely no idea why.

Luckily, there was a birthday among my friends and she was also feeling a little unwell.  I invited her over for dinner of homemade, very yummy I might add, Lasagna and then a special treat for dessert.  

What also makes me feel better is chocolate.  I am not normally a lover of chocolate, I like it but I can take it or leave it, except when sick.  For some reason I crave it.  With that in mind I went to work on making a double chocolate birthday cake that would hurt any tooth and make the pain of a cold go away, at least for a short time.

I have made this recipe before and found it quite easy and relatively quick.  I made this one exactly to the recipe but have in the past made a couple of tweaks here and there, especially with the frosting.

Chocolate Lover’s Cake
Found on Better Homes and Gardens

Makes: 16 servings

Ingredients

3/4cup butter
2 eggs
2/3cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2/3cup boiling water
2/3cup buttermilk or sour milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/4cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2teaspoons baking soda
1/8teaspoon salt
3/4cup granulated sugar
3/4cup packed brown sugar

Directions

Let butter and eggs stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans; set aside. In a medium bowl whisk together cocoa powder and boiling water until smooth. Let cool for 10 minutes. 

Whisk in buttermilk and vanilla; set aside. In medium bowl stir together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

Preheat oven to 350F. In a mixing bowl beat butter with electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add sugars; beat until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined after each addition. Beat in one-third of the flour mixture on low speed just until combined after each addition. 

Beat in half of buttermilk mixture. Mixture may look curdled. Beat in half of the remaining flour mixture, then the remaining buttermilk mixture, and finally, the remaining flour mixture.

Divide batter between prepared pans, spread evenly. Bake about 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans. Let cool on wire rack.

To assemble, place first cake layer on a serving plate. Spread 1-1/2 cups frosting over the top of the layer. Top frosted first layer with second cake layer, top side up. Frost top and sides of entire cake with remaining Chocolate Butter Frosting.

Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients

3/4cup butter, softened
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
8 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 

Directions

In a very large mixing bowl, beat butter, softened, and unsweetened cocoa powder with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually beat in 2 cups powdered sugar until well combined. Gradually beat in milk and vanilla until well combined. Gradually beat in 6 cups powdered sugar. If necessary, beat in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to reach spreading consistency.