• Cooking Time: 30-35 minutes
• Servings: 12
• Preparation Time: about an hour
• For the Cake:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (Homogeneous mixture)
• 2 cups sugar (Pure Substance) C12H22O11
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder(Homogeneous mixture)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder(Homogeneous mixture)
• 1½ teaspoons baking soda (Pure Substance)
• 1 teaspoon salt (Pure Substance) NaCl
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder (Homogenous mixture)
• 1 cup milk (Homogenous mixture)
• ½ cup vegetable oil( Homogenous mixture)
• 2 eggs(Heterogeneous mixture)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract(Homogenous mixture)
• 1 cup boiling water(Pure Substance)
• Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe
• For the Frosting:
• 1½ cups butter (3 sticks), softened (Homogenous mixture)
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa (Homogenous mixture)
• 5 cups confectioner’s sugar (Homogenous mixture)
• ½ cup milk (Homogenous mixture)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (Homogenous mixture)
• ½ teaspoon espresso powder (Homogenous mixture)

1. For Cake:
2. Preheat oven to 350º F. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans by spraying with baking spray or buttering and lightly flouring.
3. For the cake:
4. Add flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk through to combine or, using your paddle attachment, stir through flour mixture until combined well.
5. Add milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla to flour mixture and mix together on medium speed until well combined. Reduce speed and carefully add boiling water to the cake batter. Beat on high speed for about 1 minute to add air to the batter.
6. Distribute cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes, remove from the pan and cool completely.
8. Frost cake with the Frosting Recipe below
10. For Frosting:
11. Add cocoa to a large bowl or bowl of stand mixer. Whisk through to remove any lumps.
12. Cream together butter and cocoa powder until well-combined.
13. Add sugar and milk to cocoa mixture by adding 1 cup of sugar followed by about a tablespoon of milk. After each addition has been combined, turn mixer onto a high speed for about a minute. Repeat until all sugar and milk have been added.
14. Add vanilla extract and espresso powder and combine well.
15. If frosting appears too dry, add more milk, a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency. If it appears to wet and does not hold its form, add more confectioner’s sugar, a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency.

I originally was going to do my Grandmother's Chocolate Cake but I did not because her recipe has a secret ingredient that I know but I am not allowed to tell anyone it. Every birthday when she makes the cake, she will normally make her recipe, which my dad normally asks for ever year! CHEMISTRY INFO: The unmixed batter and the cooked cake are both Heterogeneous mixtures and the puffing up and the turning into a solid are examples of a Chemical change. Also the three sticks of butter that are needed for the frosting while warming up after taken out of the refrigerator is a physical change, and the milk,eggs,flour and other ingredients being mixed together is a physical Change. Submitted by: "Olivia Vaill"