Double Chocolate Everyday Cake

• 2 cups flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup cocoa
• ¼ cup Special Dark cocoa
• 1 ½ cups milk
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 4 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13-inch pan with nonstick spray-with-flour. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cocoa, and Special Dark cocoa until it is well blended.

Stir vinegar into the milk and set it aside to sour. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 8 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture, alternately with the sour milk, to form a thick batter.

Spoon the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake 30 to 33 minutes, or until a pick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven, cool completely on a wire rack, and frost with Double Chocolate Creamy Frosting.

Yield: one 9x13-inch cake

Double Chocolate Creamy Frosting

• 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tablespoons Special Dark cocoa
• 6 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

In a medium bowl, break the chocolate into small pieces and microwave 2 ½ to 3 minutes at 50% power. When only a few lumps of chocolate remain, stir it with a spoon until it is smooth and completely melted.

In a medium bowl, sift the cocoas into the confectioners’ sugar and stir to mix. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar mixture, alternately with the heavy cream, to form a fluffy frosting. Add vanilla, beat well, and frost the cooled cake.

Yield: enough frosting for one 9x13-inch cake