Chocolate Cake. Not the suicide kind. Still fantastic.

Ok, I can't make a Chocolate Suicide Cake every time I'm asked to bake a chocolate cake.  The world would end from overload of chocolate, and I would end from overload of having to purchase an insane amount of ingredients on a very limited budget.  So this cake is a compromise, for the chocolate-lover who perhaps prefers a leisurely swim through chocolate as opposed to a trip to the chocolate dunk tank.



Here's what you'll need:

THE CAKE
2 1/4 Cups Flour
2 Cups Sugar
1 Cup Cocoa Powder
2 teaspoons Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Instant Coffee
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
2/3 C Canola Oil
2 teaspoons White Vinegar
2 Cups Cold Water

1.  Preheat oven to 350 Degrees Fahrenheit.  Grease 2 8-inch round cake pans.  If you have it, cut out parchment paper and line bottom of each pan to make cake removal even easier after baking.


2. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt.  Dissolve instant coffee in vanilla and add to dry mixture.  Stir in oil, vinegar and water.  Batter will be very wet.  That's cool.  Wet batter=moist chocolate cake. Mmm.

3.  Pour batter into prepared pans.  Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.  Allow to cool in pan on rack for at least 10 minutes before removing from pan.  Allow to cool completely before frosting.


THE FROSTING
6 Ounces SemiSweet Baker's Chocolate
1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter
3 1/4 Cups Powdered Sugar
3/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoons Instant Cofee
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1/2 Cup Whipping Cream, slightly warmed


1. In a small saucepan over low heat (or in a double boiler), melt chocolate and butter, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.


2. Sift together sugar, cocoa and salt.  Dissolve instant cofee in vanilla and add to dry ingredients.  Beat in whipping cream and chocolate/butter mixture until smooth.

Now frost that cake and eat it!