How To: Bake a chocolate layered cake

Forget the store bought chocolate cakes, they are dry and who knows how long they have been sitting there. Watch this how-to video and learn how to bake a chocolate cake from scratch.

Chocolate cake ingredients:
1 cup (250 mL) butter, softened
1-1/2 cups (375 mL) granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla
2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (125 mL) cocoa powder
1 tsp (5 mL) each baking powder and baking soda
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
1-1/2 cups (375 mL) buttermilk
Chocolate Icing:
1-1/2 cups (375 mL) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup (125 mL) whipping cream
1 tbsp (15 mL) vanilla
3 cups (750 mL) icing sugar
6 oz (175 g) unsweetened chocolate, chopped, melted and cooled

Chocolate icing recipe: In bowl, beat butter until fluffy; gradually beat in cream. Beat in vanilla. Beat in icing sugar, 1 cup (250 mL) at a time. Beat in melted chocolate until fluffy and smooth.

Grease two 8-inch (2L) springform pans or grease two 8-inch (1.2 L) round metal cake pans and line bottoms with parchment or waxed paper. Set aside.

In large bowl, beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time; beat in vanilla. In separate bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With wooden spoon, stir into butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, making 3 additions of dry ingredients and 2 of buttermilk. Spoon into prepared pans, smoothing tops.

Bake in center of 350°F (180°C) oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool on racks for 20 minutes. Remove from pans; let cool completely on racks. (Make-ahead: Wrap layers separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 1 day or overwrap with heavy-duty foil and freeze for up to 2 weeks.)