Death by Chocolate Cake

Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake (also known as death by chocolate)
For Cake
3 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
½ c unsweetened cocoa powder (Use the best quality you have. I like Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa powder.)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg plus enough water to make 2 cups
1 cup oil (recipe calls for corn but I use canola)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (if you have Mexican vanilla it is great to use here!)
1 ½ cups chocolate chips (I use miniature to give a nicer texture to the cake)

For Frosting
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 ¼ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
5 cups powdered sugar
8 tablespoons whole milk
1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ cup plus 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

To make cake:
Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour three 9 inch diameter cake pans with 1 ½ inch sides, or higher. Sift first 5 ingredients into medium bowl. Mix egg, water, oil, and vanilla in large bowl. Wisk in dry ingredients. Divide batter in three pans. Sprinkle each layer with ½ cup chocolate chips. Bake until tester in center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
Cool cake in pans 15 minutes and then cut around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto rack and cool completely.

To make frosting:
Beat butter in mixer until fluffy. Gradually beat in 3 cups powdered sugar. Beat in 6 tablespoons milk and vanilla. Add cocoa and remaining 2 cups powdered sugar; beat until blended, thinning with more milk if necessary. Place 1 cake chocolate chip side up on platter, frost, add second layer, chip side down. Frost, top with last cake layer chocolate chip side down. Spread frosting over sides and top. Can be made 1 day ahead, cover and allow to come to room temp before serving.

*Note: I made this cake for the first time yesterday. It was delish but need more for presentation. Next time I'm going to try added slivered almonds and fresh rasberries between each layer and on top.