Ingredients
Scale
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
- 1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
- 1 Tbsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 1 lb. best-quality semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 6 Tbsp. cocoa powder
- 6 Tbsp. boiling water
- 3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Butter two 9 x 2 inch round cake pans; line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- Butter parchment, and dust with flour, tapping out excess; set aside.
- Into a medium bowl, sift together flours, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 – 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of bowl as needed.
- Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour; beat until just combined after each addition.
- Divide the batter between the prepared pans.
- Bake, rotating the pans half-way through, until cakes are golden brown, and a cake tester inserted in the centers comes out clean, about 30 – 35 minutes.
- Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool 20 minutes.
- Invert cakes onto the rack; peel off the parchment.
- Reinvert cakes and let them cool completely, top sides up.
- In the meantime, make frosting.
- Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water.
- Stir occasionally, until chocolate is melted, about 15 minutes.
- Set bowl on countertop, and let chocolate cool to room temperature, 25 – 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile combine cocoa powder and boiling water in a small bowl; stir until cocoa is dissolved.
- In the bowl of the electric mixer, beat butter, confectioners’ sugar, and salt on medium-high speed until light and fluffy; 3 – 4 minutes.
- Add melted chocolate; beat on low until combined, 1 – 2 minutes; scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
- Beat in the cocoa mixture.
- Place one cake layer on a cake plate, and spread top with 3/4 cup frosting.
- Place the other cake layer on top.
- Spread the entire cake with remaining frosting, swirling to coat in a decorative fashion.
- Cake can be kept in the refrigerator, covered with a cake dome, for up to three days.
- Let cake sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.