Go Back

Perfect Chocolate Cake

Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Keyword cake, chocolate, whipped cream
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Favorite Cake From: Southern Living Hall of Fame Dessert Classics

Ingredients

Cake

  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa
  • 2 cups boiling water
  • 1 cup butter (softened)
  • 2½ cups sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1½ tsp vanilla extract

Whipped Cream Filling

  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup sifted powder sugar

Perfect Chocolate Frosting

  • 6 oz package semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • ½ cup half and half
  • ¾ cup butter
  • 2½ cups sifted powder sugar

Instructions

Cake

  • Combine cocoa and boiling water, stirring until smooth; set aside.
  • Cream butter; gradually add sugar, beating well at medium speed of an electric mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  • Combine flour, soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; add to creamed mixture alternately with cocoa mixture, beating at low speed of electric mixer, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
  • Stir in vanilla. Do not overbeat.
  • Line three 9-inch greased cake pans with wax paper; grease and flour (can use cocoa) wax paper.
  • Pour batter into cake pans. Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 mintues or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans, peel off wax paper, and cool layers completely on wire racks.
  • Spread Whipped Cream Filling between layers; spread Perfect Chocolate Frosting on top and sides of cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Whipped Cream Filling

  • Beat whipping cream and vanilla until foamy; gradually add powdered sugar, beating until soft peaks form. Chill. Yield: about 2 cups

Perfect Chocolate Frosting

  • Combine first 3 ingredients in heavy saucepan; cook over medium heat, stirring until chocolate melts.
  • Remove from heat; add powdered sugar, mixing well.
  • Set saucepan in ice, and beat at low speed of an electric mixer until frosting holds its shape and loses its gloss.
  • Add a few more drops of half-and-half if needed to make spreading consistency. Yield: 2 1/2 cups