5 Star Chocolate Cake

• Cake:
• 1 cup unsifted,unsweetened cocoa
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 3/4 cups sifted (before measuring) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup softened butter or regular margarine
• 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• Frosting:
• 1 6-ounce package semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup light cream or half and half
• 1 cup butter or margarine
• 2 1/2 cups unsifted confectioners sugar
• Filling:
• 1 cup chilled heavy cream for whipping
• 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Make the Cake:
2. (Preheat oven to 350F degrees.Lightly grease and flour 3 9 x 1 1/2 inch round layer cake pans.)
3. 1. Combine cocoa with boiling water in a medium bowl, mixing until smooth with a wire whisk. Let completely cool.
4. 2. Sift flour, soda, baking powder and salt.
5. 3. In the large bowl of an electric mixer beat 1 cup butter, the granulated sugar, eggs and 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla at high speed, scraping bowl with spatula until mixture is light -- about 5 minutes.
6. 4. At low speed beat in flour mixture in fourths, alternating with cocoa mixture, in thirds, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Do not overbeat.
7. 5. Divide evenly among the 3 pans.
8. 6. Bake 25-30 minutes until surface springs back when pressed. Cool in pans about 10 minutes. Then loosen the sides and remove and finish cooling on wire racks.
9. Make the Frosting:
10. 1. In medium saucepan combine chocolate chips, cream and butter, stirring over medium heat until smooth. Remove from heat.
11. 2. Blend in 2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar with wire whisk. Then set the bowl over ice and beat with electric beater until frosting holds its shape.
12. Make the Filling:
13. Whip cream with confectioners sugar and vanilla til stiff.
14. Put it all together:
15. 1. Place filling between cake layers.
16. 2. Frost sides, then top of cake.
17. Tip: Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.
18. Tip: Use a sharp, thin blade knife to cut with a sawing motion.

cocoa, boiling water, before measuring, baking soda, salt, baking powder, butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, frosting, chocolate chips, light cream, butter, confectioners sugar, filling, whipping, confectioners sugar, vanilla

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/5-star-chocolate-cake-1211005 (may not work)