Mrs. Milman's Moist Devil's Food Cake

This recipe has appeared in Martha Stewart Living and Mrs. Milman made her famous cake on Martha's show recently. Very decadent. I have also posted the recipe for Mrs. Milman's Chocolate Frosting.

• Ready In: 1 hr 5 mins
• Serves: 10-12

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 cups unsalted butter, softened, plus more
•  butter, for pans
• 3⁄4 cup  unsweetened dutch cocoa, plus more
•  unsweetened dutch cocoa, for pans
• 1⁄2 cup boiling water
• 3  cups  sifted cake flour (not self-rising)
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1⁄4 cups sugar
• 4  large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1  tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1  cup  whole milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment; butter parchment. Dust with cocoa powder; tap out excess. Set aside. Sift cocoa powder into a medium bowl; whisk in boiling water. Set aside to cool.
3. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl; set aside. Put butter into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until creamy. Gradually mix in sugar until pale and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs, a bit at a time, mixing well between each addition; mix until well blended. Mix in vanilla.
4. Whisk milk into reserved cocoa mixture. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture to butter mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the cocoa mixture.
5. Divide batter evenly among prepared pans; smooth tops with an offset spatula. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a cake tester inserted into centers comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Let cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Turn out cakes onto racks; remove parchment and re-invert. Let cool completely.
6. Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes to make level. Place four strips of parchment paper around perimeter of a serving plate or lazy Susan. Place the first layer on the cake plate. Spread the top of the first layer with 1 1/2 cups of frosting. Place the second layer on top and repeat process with another 1 1/2 cups of frosting. Place the remaining layer on top of the second layer, bottom side up. Spread entire cake with remaining 3 cups frosting.