Old-Fashioned Milk Chocolate Cake W/frosting

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05

Title: Old-Fashioned Milk Chocolate Cake W/frosting
Categories: Cheesecakes, Chocolate
Yield: 16 servings

3 1/2 c Sifted cake flour
1/2 tb Baking soda
1/2 ts Baking powder
1/2 tb Salt
6 oz Unsweetened chocolate
; chop -- (1 to 2)
1 c Water
1 c Unsalted butter; soften to
Consistency of mayo
2 c Granulated sugar
1/2 c Light-brown sugar; pack
1 1/2 tb Vanilla
6 Ex-lg eggs; warm in shells
1 c Buttermilk
Milk chocolate frosting
(recipe follows)
Unsprayed or silk leaves;
Such as rose; geranium
Or strawberry; opt

Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in
bowl. In medium heat-proof bowl over (not touching) barely
simmering water, melt chocolate in water, stirring
occasionally until perfectly smooth. Remove from heat. In
large mixing bowl, beat butter on medium speed until
creamy. Continue beating while sprinkling in granulated and
brown sugars, 1 tb at time. Add vanilla and beat until very
light. Add eggs singly, beating until thoroughly blended
after each, then beat until very light and creamy. Blend in
chocolate. Add flour in 3 parts by sprinkling over bowl.
Alternate with buttermilk in 2 parts. Beat on lowest speed
manageable just until each addition disappears.
Fold batter with large flexible rubber spatula just until
thoroughly blended. Divide batter among buttered 9-inch
round cake pans with bottoms lined with wax paper. Smooth
tops, then push batter slightly up against sides. Bake 2
layers on middle oven rack and 1 layer on lower oven rack
at 350~. Stagger so top pans are not directly over bottom
pan.
Bake until wood pick emerges clean from center of cake, 30
to 35 minutes. Cool in pans on racks 15 minutes. Then turn
out onto racks, top sides up, to cool completely.
Up to 6 hours before serving, set thickest layer on
platter, bottoms up. Spread with 2/3 cup frosting. Repeat
with second layer. Place last layer top side up. Frost top
and sides, making decorative sweeps in frosting with knife.
Keep cool. Do not refrigerate. Just before serving, wreathe
leaves around bottom of platter.

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