Awesome Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

2 Cups sugar
1 ¾ Cups all-purpose flour
3/4 Cup cocoa powder
1 ½ Teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ Teaspoons baking soda
1 Teaspoon salt
2 Large eggs
1 Cup milk
½ Cup vegetable oil
2 Teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ Cup boiling water
¼ Cup freshly brewed coffee
1 Bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 Tablespoons vegetable shortening (crisco)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water and hot coffee. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

Once cakes are completely cooled, slice a thin layer off of the top to make it level. Place the cut portion of cake to the side for later use. Now to prepare the filling…


Filling

1/2 Cup unsalted butter
2/3 Cups cocoa powder
3 Cups confection sugar
1/3 Cup milk
1 Teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla.

Take the left over cake tops that you cut off, and crumble them onto a cookie sheet. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes, remove from oven and allow to cool.

Assemble the cake on a plate or cake stand... first layer with cut side down. Spread a large amount of the filling and level it out. Top with 2nd layer, smooth the filling that will begin to escape from the center. Wrap a sheet of plastic wrap around the cake (this will create a “wall” around the cake and stop the filling from escaping, and refrigerate for about 1 hour until filling has hardened a little.

While the cake is in the refrigerator, place the chocolate chips and vegetable shortening in a double boiler or a large heat proof mixing bowl over 1 inch of simmering water. Allow mixture to melt, stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Remove from heat.

Begin spooning melted chocolate mixture over the cake, using a spatula begin working the frosting from the top of the cake down the sides. Don’t worry if it doesn’t look perfect you will be covering the cake in the cake crumbs you made earlier. Once you’re done with the frosting, begin taking handfuls of the cake crumbs and pressing them into the sides of the cake until the entire cake is covered. Sprinkle the remainder of crumbs onto the top of the cake an you’re done. Refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour. Serve and Enjoy!