Chocolate Cake With Buttercream and Ganache

This chocolate cake is light, spongey, and perfectly moist-- and very easy to make, too! I tried it out for a birthday celebration for two of my friends, and will definitely make it again soon.

Inspired by bakerella.com's "Just a Cake" recipe (http://www.bakerella.com/just-a-cake/)

Ingredients:

Chocolate Cake:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup natural unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup milk
2/3 cup hot water

Buttercream Frosting:
1 1/2 cups butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 cups powdered sugar
4-8 Tablespoons milk

Chocolate Ganache:
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels

Step 1: Chocolate Cake!

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and make sure to have an oven rack situated just about in the middle of the oven.

Butter or Pam the bottom and sides of two 9-inch cake pans. Dust the pans with cocoa powder.

Sift your dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.

Add eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla, and beat until combined.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add hot water, and mix again to combine. The batter will be very liquid-y.

Pour into prepared pans and bake for about 25-30 minutes, until cake is set and toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.

Cool for about five minutes in the pans, transfer to wire racks to cool completely, and then transfer cakes to freezer to make the frosting process easier.

Step 2: Ganache

Heat your cream and butter in a saucepan on medium until butter is melted. Try not to let the mixture boil.

Pour chocolate pieces into a bowl. Pour hot cream/ melted butter on top. Let sit for a minute or two, and then whisk by hand until the whole mixture is smooth and consistent. Let cool until thick and pourable, stirring every few minutes. Feel free to pop the bowl of ganache in the fridge for a couple minutes at a time to speed up this process.

Step 3: Buttercream Frosting

Beat butter until smooth and light. Add vanilla, mix to combine. Next, add powdered sugar in 2-cup additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Add milk a tablespoon at a time and mix thoroughly until you reach a smooth consistency.

Step 4: Cake Assembly

Place one of your cake layers, bottom side up, on a cake stand. Spread about 3/4 cup of frosting over the top. Place your second cake layer on top, bottom side down. Frost entire cake evenly. Slowly, pour your prepared ganache over the top center of the cake, just until it starts dripping down the sides.