Best, because I had been baking chocolate cakes for my husband’s birthday for 30 years, but when I made this chocolate cake, he pronounced it the best yet. ♥ The original recipe is Mom’s Chocolate Cake from Food & Wine.
Makes 2 8-inch round layers. The amount for 3 8-inch round layers is in parentheses.
2 c water (3 c)
2 c sugar (3 c)
4 oz unsweetened chocolate (6 oz)
6 T butter (9 T)
1 tsp vanilla (1-1/2 tsp)
2 eggs (3)
2 c flour (3 c)
2 tsp baking powder (3 tsp)
2 tsp baking soda (3 tsp)
1 tsp salt (1-1/2 tsp)
Preheat the oven to 350. Grease and flour 2 (or 3 if making 3 layers) 8-inch round cake pans, and line bottoms with waxed paper. Combine water and sugar in saucepan, bring to a boil over high heat, and stir until sugar dissolves. Pour into mixing bowl. Add chocolate and butter, and let sit for five minutes until melted. Stir until smooth, and add vanilla. Beat the eggs into the chocolate at medium speed until combined. Add the dry ingredients all at once, and beat on medium speed until smooth. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans, and bake for 25 minutes or until wooden pick comes out clean. Cool cake in pans about 25 minutes, then invert onto cooling rack to cool completely. Frost as desired. I like to use best chocolate frosting. (If making 3 layers and splitting and filling them as in the photograph, double the best chocolate frosting recipe.)
Gluten restrictions: substitute all purpose gluten-free flour plus 1/4 tsp xanthan gum per cup of flour in place of the wheat flour.
