Best Cake Ever!

Martha has done it again! This time, it is the most reliable chocolate cake I have ever had. It is so moist and even better refrigerated the next day. I ALWAYS use this recipe from the intellects over at Martha Stewart and it works like a charm every time!


This year, Oliver requested chocolate so I couldn't wait to whip out this recipe. He also repeated over and over that he wanted Cookie Monster involved. I wasn't sure how to do this and honestly waited until a couple of minutes before decorating to decide. With the help of my sisters, I pulled it off quite nicely I believe. Check out the pics!The cupcakes for nursery at church, since his birthday landed on a Sunday this year. I used a box to make those, but the kids didn't mind.

I am sharing this information directly from her site via this link:

Baking an easy chocolate dessert like this chocolate cake can be almost as thrilling for a birthday girl or boy as blowing out the candles that go on top.

Tools and Materials

• Two 8-by-2 inch round cake pans
• Parchment paper
• Flour sifter
• Electric mixer and bowl
• Rubber spatula
• Long serrated knife

1. Prep Time 40 minutes
2. Total Time 2 hours 55 minutes
3. Yield Makes one 8-inch two-layer cake

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 cups hot water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper, and butter paper. Dust the pans with cocoa; tap out extra.
2. Sift cocoa, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar into bowl. Beat in oil, buttermilk, vanilla, eggs, and hot water one at a time, using a mixer set at low. Beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.
3. Pour batter into pans. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean; an adult should rotate the pans halfway through and remove cakes from the oven.
4. Let cakes cool in pans on wire racks, 20 minutes, before inverting to remove. Discard paper. Cool completely on racks, top side up. An adult should cut off top of one layer.
5. With a butter knife, frost top of trimmed layer.
6. Place the other layer on top. Frost top and sides of cake.

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