Devil's Food Cake with Chocolate Frosting

A recipe adapted from All-American Desserts is one for a dense, chocolate-rich cake made with melted chocolate and butter with an accompanying thick and glossy chocolate frosting. The cake batter is made by adding the wet ingredients to the dry ones and is then baked in two shallow baking tins. As soon as the cake layers have cooled, they are generously coated with chocolate frosting, stacked, and generously covered with the remaining frosting.

Devil's Food Cake:
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups cake flour, sifted
¾ tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1¼ cups sugar
¾ milk
3 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Frosting:
1 cup sugar
¼ cup cake flour
4 oz unsweetened chocolate, cut into pieces
1½ cups milk
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

First, prepare 2 (9") cake tins, grease and flour them - tap out any excess flour - and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C/155°C fan, Gas Mark 3).

Make the Devil's Food Cake:
Place the butter in a medium-sized bowl and sift over it flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Add to it milk and beat the ingredients with a mixer until smooth. Now add the wet ingredients, namely the melted chocolate, vanilla, and eggs; beat again until smooth.

Transfer evenly the batter in the two prepared tins and bake for 25 minutes. When baked, let the cake cool completely right side up.

Make the Frosting:
Mix flour, chocolate, and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the milk and whisk until the mixture thickens and the chocolate has completely melted. Take from heat, add the butter and whisk until the butter has dissolved and the frosting is smooth and creamy.

After the frosting has cooled, assemble and frost the cake.

Makes 8 servings.