CHOCOLATE CAKE
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour, or plain flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, or regular Hershey's cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups white granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, or regular Hershey's
3 cups powdered sugar, (confectioners or icing sugar)
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
CHOCOLATE CAKE
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease two 9-inch (22cm) round cake pans with butter. Line base with parchment paper.
Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. Whisk in sugar, then add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Whisk well to combine until lump free, about 30 seconds.
Pour boiling water into batter, mixing well. Cake batter will be thin in consistency.
Pour batter into cake pans and bake for 30 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Let cool for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely before frosting.
CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
Melt butter, then whisk in cocoa powder. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency (add a small amount of additional milk, if needed). Stir in vanilla.