Recipe#4066

Title: Chocolate 02

From: padwickk@delphi.com 
 Newsgroups: rec.food.recipes 
 Subject: The Perfect Chocolate Cake 
 Date: 14 Aug 1994 15:11:17 -0400 
 Message-ID: JK7xcYr.padwickk@delphi.com 

1 cup unsifted unsweetened cocoa
 2 cups boiling water
 2 3/4 cups sifted all purpose flour
 2 teasp. baking soda
 1/2 teasp. salt
 1/2 teasp. baking powder
 1 cup butter
 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
 4 eggs
 1 1/2 teasp. vanilla extract
  
 1 pkg. (6 oz.) semisweet chocolate pieces
 1/2 cup light cream
 1 cup butter
 2-1/2 cups unsifted confectioners' sugar
  
 1 cup heavy whipping cream (chilled)
 1/4 cup unsifted confectioners' sugar
 1 teasp. vanilla extracted
 1 pint fresh strawberries, cleaned and sliced
  
 In a medium bowl, combine cocoa with boiling water, mixing with
 wire whisk until smooth. Cool completely. Sift flour with soda,
 salt, and baking powder. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease well and
 lightly flour three 9 by 1-1/2 inch lager cake pans.
 In a large bowl of an electric mixer, at high speed, beat butter,
 sugar, eggs, and vanilla, scraping bowl occasionally, until light
 - about 5 mins.  At low speed, beat in flour mixture (in fourths),
 alternating with cocoa mixture (in thirds), beginning and ending
 with flour mixture. Do not overbeat.
 Divide evenly into pans, smooth top. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or
 until surface springs back when gently pressed with fingertip. Cool
 in pans 10 minutes. Carefully loosen sides with spatula, remove
 from pans; cool on racks.
 In medium saucepan, combine chocolate pieces, cream, butter; stir
 over medium heat until smooth. Remove from heat. With whisk, blend
 in 2-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar. In bowl set over ice, beat
 until it holds shape.
 Whip cream with sugar and vanilla; refrigerate.
 On plate, place a layer, top side down; spread with half of whipped
 cream and half of sliced strawberries. Place second layer, top side
 down; spread with the rest of the whipped cream and strawberries.
 Place third layer, top side up.
 With a spatula, frost sides first, covering whipped cream; use rest
 of frosting on top, swirling decoratively. Refrigerate at least 1
 hour before serving. To cut, use a thin-edged sharp knife and slice
 with a sawing motion. Serves 10 to 12.