Recipe(tried): The Ultimate Chocolate Cake (Martha Stewart recipe)

This recipe is from Martha Stewart and is luscious and as she would say...It's a Good Thing!! It's a bit fussy but well worth it!! She suggests that you use Valrhona cocoa or another very high quality cocoa...but I used Hershey's and it was extremely good!! Good luck with your party!!

THE ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE CAKE

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (plus more for dusting)
3/4 cup strong coffee, boiling
1 cup milk, room temperature
2 3/4 cup cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter (3 sticks), room temperature
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Ultimate Chocolate Frosting (recipe follows)

Place rack in middle of the oven. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8-by-2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper. Butter the parchment, and dust with cocoa powder; tap out excess.

Sift cocoa; whisk in boiling coffee and milk. Let cool. Sift together cake flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Using a rubber spatula, mix the butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add sugar and vanilla.

Add the eggs one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Pour in the cooled cocoa mixture. Mix until fully incorporated. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture, stirring until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pans (about 4 cups in each pan.)

Bake for 20 minutes, rotate the pans, and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake. Remove the cakes from the oven, and allow cakes to cool in pans for 15 minutes on a cooling rack. Carefully run a small offset spatula around the edge of the cakes to loosen them from the pan. Remove cakes from pans, and invert onto a wire rack. Let cool completely, about one hour.

TO ASSEMBLE:
Using a serrated knife, level the top surface of each cake layer. Place four strips of parchment paper around the perimeter of the cake stand. Spread with 3/4 cup of frosting. Top with the remaining layer, bottom-side up. Using a swirling motion, cover the outside of cake with the remaining frosting. Remove parchment-paper strips. (Martha uses the parchment paper to catch all the messy part of frosting the cake...I simply use a paper towel or a napkin and wipe any messy part off of the plate...hee hee)

ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE FROSTING

3 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup milk, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

In a small bowl, sift together the confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder. Add butter, milk, and vanilla; stir until smooth and free of lumps.