Chocolate Cake

Preparation Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.

Dry Ingredients In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Wet Ingredients Add the eggs, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Boiling Water Stir in the boiling water. The batter will be thin but that's okay.

Dividing Batter Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans.

Baking Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cooling Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Ganache To make the chocolate ganache, heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring it just to a boil.

Melting Chocolate Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 1-2 minutes to melt the chocolate.

Whisking Ganache Whisk the mixture until smooth. Add the butter and continue whisking until the ganache is shiny and well combined.

Cooling Ganache Allow the ganache to cool slightly before using.

Chocolate Frosting To make the chocolate frosting, cream the butter in a large mixing bowl until smooth.

Beating Frosting Add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, milk, and vanilla extract. Beat until light and fluffy.

Assembling Cake Once the cakes are completely cool, place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread a layer of ganache over the top.

Frosting Cake Place the second cake layer on top and frost the entire cake with the chocolate frosting.

Decorating and Chilling Decorate the cake as desired and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to allow the ganache and frosting to set.