Devil'S Food Cake With Bittersweet Chocolate Frosting

1. 1

   Cake:

2. 2

   Set rack in lower 1/3 of oven. Preheat oven to 350. Grease & flour 2 8-inch round pans; line bottoms with parchment/wax paper

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   Sift flour, baking soda & salt into separate bowl set aside

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   Place cocoa in sm bowl. Add 1/2 c lukewarm water, whisk to combine, set aside

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   Pour buttermilk, 1/2 c water & vanilla into liquid cup measure

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   Crack eggs into sm bowl & whisk together

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   Place butter in bowl of heavy-duty mixer fitted with flat beater. Cream butter on medium until butter is smooth & lighter in color, 30-45 sec

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   Reduce speed to low; add sugars in steady stream. Then stop machine & scrape down sides. The mixture will be sandy. Increase speed to med & cream until mixture is light in color, fluffy in texture, & appears as one mass, 5-7 min

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   With mixer on med, pour eggs in very slowly. Continue to cream, scraping sides of bowl at least once until mixture appears fluffy & velvety. Stop machine & spoon in cooled cocoa mix. Turn mixer back up to med & mix just until incorporated

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    Using rubber spatula stir in 1/4 of flour mix. And 1/3 of buttermilk mixture stirring to blend. Repeat procedure, alternating dry & liquid. With each, scrape sides of bowl & continue mixing until smooth, never adding liquid if any flour is visible

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    Pour batter into prepared pans & level. Bake 22-25 min or until center springs back slightly when touched & sides contract from pan

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    Place cake pans on rack to cool for 5-10 min. Remove from pans & let cool completely before frosting

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    Frosting:

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    Chop chocolate finely & melt over double boiler stirring until smooth & shiny. Remove from heat

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    Sift sugar over chocolate. Add hot water. Stir to combine with rubber spatula. Mixture will thicken to chocolate paste

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    Add 1 egg & stir to combine before adding other egg. Stir in vanilla

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    Place butter in mixer bowl & beat until smooth. Add 1/2 of chocolate mixture to butter, beating gently until smooth. Add this mixture to remaining chocolate & stir until smooth with rubber spatula. Use immediately

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.