Ricardo's Easter Chocolate Cake

Baked this wonderful cake to bring to my cousin for an Easter brunch. Ricardo has so many delicious looking cakes - it was hard to choose one - but decided on this chocolate cake...





Ricardo's Chocolate Cake
ricardocuisine
2  cups flour
3/4 cups cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
Dash of salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar (used 1 1/4 cups)
3 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups milk (used low fat)

Preheat the oven to 350 °F). Butter and flour 2 8 inch round pans.

In a bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa and baking soda.

In another bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the butter a few seconds and add slowly the sugar. Beat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time while mixing, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla.

On slow speed, add the dry ingredients, alternating with the milk.

Pour into the pans. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes.

Let the cakes cool and unmould.

Chocolate Icing
ricardocuisine
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 1/4 cups icing sugar
1/3 cup sifted cocoa powder
2 tablespoons 35% cream (used low fat milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a bowl, beat the butter, sugar, cream and vanilla with an electric mixer until the mixture is creamy and smooth. Add food colouring if desired.