i tried tita nigella's recipe for cocoa fudge cake, which i "purloined" from emily's baking beast. when it came time to measure out dry ingredients i got a bit apprehensive though...i decided to use more Droste cocoa (one packed and heaped tablespoon--Dutch processed cocoa with alkali--) than she called for--my chocolate cake experts put the fear in me, they might complain!, and added left over black coffee (about 1/4 cup) to the chilled water to total still the same amount of liquid ( 1 & 1/3 cup).
i also frosted with milk chocolate buttercream from "The Cake Bible" of Rose Levy Beranbaum: melt 16 ounces of milk chocolate and 8 ounces of bittersweet chocolate over a double boiler (very low heat, and remove bowl when almost completely melted and let residual heat do the rest of the melting). whip 12 ounces of softened butter then add the melted cooled chocolate. this makes enough to frost an 8-in round two-layer cake.
the birthday boy er guy raved over it, as much as a 16 year old can rave ("what's in the icing, mom?" "why what's the matter?"--defensive mom-- "nothing, it's good...")
the cake itself was moist, deep, and luscious.
my cool dude
