Chocolate Cake

This is a great cake to make for Valentine's Day in a heart shaped pan. Recipe source: Bon Appetit (June 1981)

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 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

1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees F.
2. 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.
3. In a bowl sift flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
4. 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.
5. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.
6. Add vanilla and continue beating until blended.
7. 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.
8. Divide batter into two pans (or use one larger pan).
9. Bake for 25-30 minutes for 8-inch layer cakes or 40-45 minutes for a larger cake.
10. Cool for 10 minutes in pans and then turn out onto a cake rack to finish cooling.
11. While cake is cooling prepare glaze.
12. 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.
13. 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.