1-3/4 cups flour

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup cocoa (may also add 2 T. special dark cocoa)

1 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs (Pa. preferred eggs, Weis brand)

2 tsp. vanilla

1 cup strong hot coffee

Preheat oven to 350º F. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans. Line pans with parchment paper, then butter and flour pans. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined.

In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake at 350º for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting

1 lb. butter

2 cups milk

4 lbs. 10x sugar

2 cups cocoa

Half Recipe

1/2 lb. butter

1 cup milk

2 lbs. 10x sugar

1 cup cocoa

Cream butter; add cocoa; add half of the x10 sugar; add one cup milk; add x10 sugar; add the other cup of milk

Butter Cream Icing

1/2 cup solid shortening, Crisco brand preferably

1 stick butter (at room temperature)

2 tsp. vanilla

1 32 oz. bag confectioner sugar

1/3 cup milk (or try heavy whipping cream)

Cream butter and shortening with an electric mixer until well blended. A stand-alone mixer works best.

Add the vanilla and mix until blended. Gradually add sugar one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed.

Stop in between each cup to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. The icing will start to get dry, you can gradually add your milk or heavy whipping cream.

Keep mixing until everything is fluffy and smooth. If you would like to color the icing, this is the stage you would do that. Just add the gel coloring and mix on medium speed until well blended.

You can now place the icing in a bag for piping your cupcakes or ice your cake.