Servings: 10-12

For cake:

½ cup hot water

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted

½ cup butter

1 2/3 cup sugar

3 large eggs

2 1/8 cups sifted all purpose flour

¼ teaspoon baking soda

2¼ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

For Glossy chocolate icing:

4 tablespoons butter

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate

2-3 cups powdered sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

About 6½ tablespoons milk

1½ teaspoons vanilla

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter and flour two 9-inch cake pans or a 13-by-9-inch baking pan.

Combine chocolate and hot water, stir until thick and cool.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy, then add eggs one at a time until blended, then add chocolate mixture.

In another bowl, sift dry ingredients together. Add alternately to the batter, starting and ending with the flour mixture.

Bake 20 to 30 minutes for round cake pans, 30 to 40 minutes for 13-by-9-inch pan.

To make icing, melt butter and chocolate, cool for 10 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients, beat until icing becomes glossy and thick enough to spread.

When cake has cooled, frost with icing.

Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker.