Makes 1, 3-layer cake

Here is a chocolate cake for the true chocolate lover.

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup  Bakers Cocoa

2 ½ cups sugar

1 cup (2 sticks or 1/2  pound) butter or margarine, softened but not melted

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1,  1-ounce square of baking chocolate, melted *

1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

3/4 cup water

Chocolate Butter-cream Icing

Preheat oven to 350°.  Prepare three, eight or nine inch cake pans.  Sift the first four ingredients together and set aside.  Cream the sugar and butter together until well blended, light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs one at a time.  Add the melted chocolate and vanilla and blend well.  Begin adding the dry ingredients alternately with the water.  Blend well but be careful not to over mix or the cake may be tough.  Basically, you just want all the ingredients to be moistened.  A few lumps won’t hurt.  Divide the batter between the three prepared cake pans and bake for twenty to twenty-five minutes, or until a slim bamboo skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

When done, remove from the oven and place the pans on wire racks.  Do not remove the cakes from the pans until they are cold.  When the layers are cold, carefully remove from the pans dust off any crumbs.  Ice between layers, the sides and top of the cake with Chocolate Butter-cream Icing and sprinkle the top with chopped walnuts while the icing is still moist. 

* You may melt your chocolate on the stove or in the microwave.

Stovetop:  Break chocolate into pieces and put in a small pan or bowl over hot water.  Keep the water at a very low simmer.  Stir the chocolate as it begins to melt.  Continue until completely melted.

Microwave:  Break chocolate into pieces and put into a microwaveable dish.  Nuke at full power for 15 seconds, remove and stir, return and nuke for another 10 to 15 seconds, stir again.  Continue until completely melted.