The Best Chocolate Cake on Planet Earth

(preheat oven 325°)

p.s. This is a simple & simply delicious chocolate cake.

Sift the following ingredients into your stand-up mixer bowl:

2 cups of sugar
2 cups of flour
½ cup of Valrhona or Ghirardelli unsweetened chocolate powder
1 teaspoon of baking powder
2 teaspoons of baking soda
½ teaspoon of salt

~ Turn mixer on stir-speed and mix till just combined.

Then add into mixer bowl:

1 tablespoon of whipping cream
1 cup of whole, 2%, or skim milk
1 cup of coffee (decaf or not)

~ Mix for 2 minutes on medium speed.

~ Make sure you stop once or twice to use a spatula to scrape down the sides & bottom of the bowl, so dry ingredients get totally mixed in.

Then add:

1 teaspoon of vanilla
2 large eggs, slightly beaten

~ Mix another 2 minutes at medium speed. Don’t worry, batter should be thin.

~ Then pour batter into two well-greased 6 1/2” x 6 1/2” pans and bake for 35-40 minutes.

~ You know it’s done when you place a toothpick in the center of the cake, and it comes out without any wet batter on it.

~ Let cool in pan before frosting.

Mocha Buttercream Frosting

6 ounces of unsweetened chocolate bar
2 sticks of softened unsalted butter
3 cups of sifted powdered sugar (you can add more to desired frosting consistency)
1 tablespoon of coffee powder

~ Chop the chocolate and place it in a double-boiler. Stir until melted. Set aside.

~ In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy—about 3 minutes.

~ Add the powdered sugar and beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy.

~ Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 teaspoons of the hot water.

~ On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended.

~ Frost the cake. This cake lasts for days, staying decadent.