Heirloom Chocolate Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Beat together the butter, and sugars until creamy.
• Sift together salt, baking soda, cocoa, and flour. In a seperate container mix together the buttermilk and the vanilla.
• Add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk mixture.
• Bake in 3 (9 inch round or square) pans for 20 to 25 minutes at 350 degrees.
• When cool, stack the cakes and frost with the icing of your choice.

Steps:

• In a bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating until smooth after each addition. Pour batter into a greased and floured 13x9-in. baking pan. , Bake at 350° until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. When cake is cool, dust with confectioners' sugar or top with your favorite frosting.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter bottoms of three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottoms with waxed paper.
• Mix flour, soda, and salt in small bowl. Using electric mixer, cream butter in large bowl until light. Gradually add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in yolks, then melted chocolate. Mix in dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Divide batter among prepared pans. Bake until tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer cakes to racks and cool 5 minutes. Run small sharp knife around pan sides to loosen. Unmold cakes onto paper towel-lined racks. Cool completely.
• Peel paper off cakes. Place 1 cake layer on platter. Slide waxed paper strips just under sides of cake. Spread 3/4 cup frosting over, Top with second cake layer. Spread with 3/4 cup frosting. Top with third cake layer. Spread remaining frosting decoratively over top and sides of cake. Remove waxed paper strips. Arrange walnuts around top edge and center of cake if desired. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; store at room temperature.)