MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.01
  
       Title: Perfect Chocolate Cake
  Categories: Cakes, Chocolate
       Yield: 6 servings
  
       1 c  Cocoa
       2 c  Boiling water
       1 c  Butter, softened
   2 1/2 c  Sugar
       4    Eggs
   2 3/4 c  Flour (I used cake flour and
            -suggest others do so also)
       2 ts Baking soda
     1/2 ts Baking powder
     1/2 ts Salt
   1 1/2 ts Vanilla
            Whipped Cream Filling:
       1 c  Whipping cream,
       1 ts Vanilla, and
     1/4 c  Sifted powdered sugar
            Perfect Chocolate Frosting:
       1    (6 oz) package seme-sweet
            -chocolate morsels,
     1/2 c  Half and half,
     3/4 c  Butter
   2 1/2 c  Sifted powdered sugar
  
   This cake is from the December 1990 “Southern Living” article on the
   best recipes of the past 25 years.  We've tried it, and it is a
   stunner!  First printed in December 1977, a recipe submitted by
   Dondee Gage Steves of San Antonio, Texas.
   
   Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour 3 9″ round cake pans.
   
   Combine cocoa and boiling water, stir until smooth, then set aside.
   
   Cream butter, gradually add sugar, beating well at mdm speed of an
   electric mixer.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each
   addition.
   
   Combine flour, soda, baking powder, and salt; add to creamed mixture
   alternating with cocoa mixture, beating at low speed of an electric
   mixer, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Stir in the
   vanilla.  Do not overbeat.
   
   Pour pans and ake 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into the
   center comes out clean. Cool pans 10 minutes. Remove the cake from
   pans; cool completely.
   
   Spread filling between layers; spread frosting on top and sides. Chill
   until serving time.
   
   Filling: Beat whipping cream and vanilla until foamy.  Gradually add
   powdered sugar, beating until soft peaks form.  Chill.
   
   Yield: 2 c
   
   Frosting: Combine chocolate, half and half, and butter in a heavy
   saucepan; cook over mdm heat, stirring until chocolate melts (I used
   a glass measuring c and the microwave). Remove from heat; add
   powdered sugar, mixing well.
   
   Set saucepan in ice, and beat at low speed of an electric mixer until
   the frosting holds its shape and loses its gloss.  Add a few more
   drops of half-and-half if needed to make spreading consistency.
   
   Yield: 2 1/2 c
  
 MMMMM

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