1 3/4 cup Flour
1 3/4 cup Sugar
3/4 cup Cocoa high quality
2 teaspoons Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Oil canola or coconut oil
2 Eggs
1 cup Buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla
1 cup Hot Water
Chocolate Buttercream:
1 1/2 cups Butter softened
1 cup Cocoa
5 cups Powdered Sugar
1/3 cup Cream Half n Half or Milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. If you have a flour sifter, sift all dry ingredients. In mixing bowl, beat oil, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla for 1 minute. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until combined. Pour in hot water and mix together. The batter will be liquidy but that's a good thing -- it will create a moist cake. Spray two 9-inch cake pans with non-stick cooking spray. You can also use three 8-inch cake pans for this recipe. Pour batter evenly into each pan. Bake at 22-27 minutes. Place toothpick or cake tester in the center of the cake to check if it comes out clean. Let cool before frosting. To make Chocolate Buttercream: In mixing bowl, cream together Butter, Cocoa, Powdered Sugar, and Cream until light and fluffy. You may want to add more cream or milk depending on consistency. Once the cake has cooled and has been removed from pans, frost each layer with frosting. Top with chocolate shavings, chocolate chips, sprinkles, M & M's or whatever your heart desires.