Princess Eager, then 9 or 10, was the first to find and bake a cake from this recipe, and it has been our 'go-to' chocolate cake recipe ever since, and, as it has become her specialty, she's usually asked to do the baking. When we needed a dessert for dinner with her future father-in-law this weekend, though, Princess Sassy chose to make this.
The recipe was taken from The Taste of Home Baking Book
. We never followed it exactly, because it's called "Victorian Strawberry Chocolate Cake," and calls for shortening-based white frosting with chocolate icing, plus fresh strawberry garnish, none of which we've ever done. We use whatever frosting or topping suits the occasion. One of my favorites is coffee-flavored whip cream frosting, which is less sugar-filled than buttercream, and the coffee taste counters the sweetness of the cake in a way I like. I don't often write in cookbooks, even though I think I should and hope to remember to leave notes for myself and future generations, but I did write next to this recipe...Or should I say I drew next to it... 5 stars.
Best Ever Chocolate Cake
adapted from "Victorian Strawberry Chocolate Cake" submitted by A. Parker,
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans.
Stir in small bowl until well blended
2 cups boiling water
1 cup baking cocoa
Set aside.
In large mixer bowl, cream until fluffy
1 cup butter, softened
2 1/2 cups sugar
Add
4 eggs
one at a time, beating well after each.
Mix in
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
In separate bowl, combine
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
Add the dry ingredients to the egg/sugar/butter mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture. Beat well after each addition. 
Divide batter evenly into the prepared cake pans.Bake for 35 - 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted just off center comes out clean. (Crumbly is OK, gooey is not.)
Cool cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn onto racks to finish cooling before spreading on your choice of topping/frosting.
