Celebrate = Chocolate

Mark and I always take the week of our anniversary off and spend it with the kids.  A few weeks ago, we celebrated our 14th and it has become tradition for Kate and John to make gifts for us.  We received some very lovely things this year including some wishing twigs (you hold them in your hand, make a wish, and then toss them into the campfire - when they burn up, your wish can come true).
Spending most of the afternoon in the kitchen, Kate made this DELICIOUS chocolate layered cake.  I love chocolate layered cake but I'm pretty picky about which ones I'd vouch for as DELICIOUS - this one was!  I've only had two other pieces that compare - one was in San Francisco and the other was actually at Granite City (I know - go figure!)  So when we celebrated a birthday this week, I tried her recipe and it was delicious again so I'll include the recipe at the end of this post.  (She got the recipe online but I have no idea where) The pic above is my cake with chocolate frosting but the one Kate made had the frosting in the recipe, which was more my favorite.

Birthdays around here seem to linger out over a few weeks.  So, Kate's actual birthday was this week but last week she had friends over (hence, the cake).  Next weekend she goes out with her Godmother for a night at the orchestra.  In October, she goes to Chicago with me and Grandma for a girls weekend.  But for the actual day, we ordered in Chinese food and had brownies with ice cream and hot fudge.  I use the same recipe for hot fudge that my Mom always made.  It is so good and if there's any left over, just put it in the fridge, warm it up in the microwave ad have it again! Yummmmm.

Hot Fudge
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
Mix together in a saucepan, bring to boil and boil for 1 full minute.

Chocolate Anniversary Cake
Cake:
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Heat Oven to 350 degrees.  Spray two 8- or 9- inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each with a round of parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt.
In a small saucepan, combine the butter and 1 cup water and bring to a boil.  Add to the flour mixture and, using an electric mixer, mix until combined.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the sour cream and vanilla.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, 35-45 minutes.  Cool in the pans for 20 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Transfer one of the cakes to the platter and spread with 3/4 cup frosting.  Top with the remaining cake and spread with the remaining frosting.

Frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
In medium bowl, cream together cream cheese and butter until creamy.  Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioner's sugar.  Store in refrigerator after use.