Luke’s Awesome Chocolate Cake

• butter and flour for coating and dusting the cake pan
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 1 ½ cups unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1 ½ cups buttermilk
• 1 ½ cups warm water
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 9-inch cake rounds. Dust with flour and tap out the excess.
2. Mix together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl or stand mixer if you have one. Use a low speed until all ingredients are combined.
3. Add eggs, buttermilk, warm water, oil and vanilla. Beat on a medium speed until smooth. Do not over beat the mixture, it should only take a few minutes.
4. Divide the batter among the three pans. It helps to go back and forth between the three to make sure the pans are even.

**Baking Tip: To create uniform, flat cakes without sunken or domed centers, cut scrap material (old t-shirt or kitchen towel) into strips that will fit around the cake pan. Soak your strips under water and ring them out.  You’ll want them as wet as possible without dripping.  Use safety pins to secure the strips around the pan before placing them in the oven.  This tip will allow your cake to bake evenly without the edges baking faster.

• Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Cool on wire racks for 15 minutes and then turn out the cakes onto the racks and allow them to cool completely.
• Frost with the Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting and try not to eat the whole cake!

Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

• 1 ½ cups butter softened
• 8 oz cream cheese softened
• 1 1/3 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
• 4 teaspoons vanilla extract 
• 6 cups powdered sugar
• ¼ cup milk (as needed)

1. In a large bowl, beat together butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer.
2. Add in cocoa powder and vanilla extract. Beat until combined.
3. Beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Add milk as necessary to make spreadable consistency. The frosting should be thick and will thicken up more if refrigerated.

Background: Chocolate cake for breakfast anyone? My husband bakes amazing desserts and this is a family favorite.