The Ultimate Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Cake
Recipe

1/2 cup (1 stick/4 oz./113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup water
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 tsp. espresso powder
1 3/4 cups pastry flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream

For the Chocolate Frosting:
2 cups (4 sticks/16 oz./450g) unsalted butter, room temperature
12 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped, melted and cooled to room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

Instructions:
For the Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C. Butter and flour 2 (9-inch) cake pans.

2. Cream butter and sugars together until fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

3. In a small pan stir water, chocolate and espresso powder over low heat until melted. Allow to cool slightly before beating into butter mixture.

4. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt and stir into batter alternately with sour cream. Divide evenly between the 2 pans and bake for 25-35 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

5. Allow to cool 15 minutes in the pans, then turn cakes out onto a plate to cool completely.

Source : Diana Desserts

Note: I layered and frosted the cake with orange buttercream.