Peasly's Funeral Cake
Cake:
1 2/3 cup flour
1 1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup cocoa
1 1/2 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup buttermilk*
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 tsp almond extract
*If you don't have actual buttermilk on hand, mix the milk with a tablespoon of lemon juice and let it sit for five minutes.
Heat oven to 350°. Mix dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Grease 3 8-inch round baking pans, flour with part of the dry mix. Measure remaining ingredients into bowl and blend for three minutes, then divide into the three pans. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the pan will come out clean. Let cool and turn out of the pan.
Frosting:
1/2 cup soft butter
3 ounces melted unsweetened baking chocolate
2 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 tbsp milk
Mix butter and cooled chocolate together until smooth. Blend in 1/2 cup of sugar, add 1 tsp of vanilla. Blend in 1/2 cup of sugar, add 2nd tsp of vanilla. Blend in 1/2 cup of sugar, add one tablespoon of milk. Blend in 1/2 sugar and remaining tablespoon of milk. Taste. If frosting is not sweet or thick enough, add remaining cup of sugar and half tablespoon of milk.
Presentation:
Smooth chocolate syrup onto the plate you'll be presenting on (this keeps the cake moist and adds a little extra richness to the bottom layer). Place bottom layer of cake over syrup; I like to decorate my plate a bit at this point since I don't have to worry about the decorative syrup getting on my frosting. Frost and place second and third layer. You should have enough frosting for two in-between layers and to go all the way around the cake as well. Pour about 1/4 cup of chocolate syrup into a measuring cup and use a spoon to drip the syrup over the sides of the cake.
YUM.