recipe adapted from Marthastewart.com 

Ingredients

Cake:

• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups milk

Frosting:

• 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar (or less depending on personal taste)
• Colored sprinkles (optional)

Directions

To make the cake:

Preheat oven to 350. Spray two round bake pans with cooking spray and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together for three minutes until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla extract.

In a separate small bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.

Slowly mix in the flour and milk to the batter starting and ending with the flour. Mix until just blended.

Divide up the batter among the two bake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a tooth pick comes out clean.

Allow to cool in the pans for 20 minutes, then remove from pans and let cool completely on a wire rack.

To make the frosting:

In a small sauce pan, boil the water.

While water is boiling, set the chocolate chips and cocoa powder into the bowl of a mixer. Add in the boiled water and mix until smooth. Let sit for five minutes. Mix in the butter on medium/high until well blended.

Slowly add in the powdered sugar a 1/2 cup at a time, tasting after it’s mixed each time until desired taste is acquired. (It took me to 3 1/2 cups.)

Frost your cake and enjoy!