Best Chocolate Cake

I can't believe I've never posted this recipe!  I make this chocolate cake ALL THE TIME, it's awesome.  Usually I make it in cake form but this time I tried it as a cupcake and it turned out perfectly just like all the other times I've made it.

As you can see, I made some cupcakes and decorated them as a turkey.  So cute and so easy.  My daughter gave me a hand and it was a fun project for the two of us.

You can buy these little sugar "eyes" from most grocery stores.  I might have even gotten these from WalMart, I honestly can't even remember. For the beak, just use an orange frosting with a very fine tip, you can also just buy this pretty much anywhere. Now, the candy corns you might have to search for.  I recommend buying some at Halloween when they are plentiful because once Halloween is over they disappear.

Now as for the chocolate cake.  It's a slight departure from your normal cake mix recipe in that you melt the butter and add the cocoa in with it while it's hot and cook it on the stove for a short time.  Then the rest of the process is fairly normal, but this one step must be the reason for it's greatness because I've never been disappointed with it.  It's pure heaven all the way from the first day it's made to a week later.  If it lasts that long!  It's moist, chocolaty, flavorful and perfect.  My favorite, by far.

I used this recipe here also.

Best Chocolate Cake
Recipe from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 Tbsp (heaping) cocoa
• 2 sticks butter
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 large beaten eggs
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. Place the flour, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl.  Set aside. 
2. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and then add the cocoa and mix until smooth, add the water and let boil for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat. 
3. Pour the hot chocolate mixture into the flour mixture and stir until smooth and it's begun to cool. 
4. In the dish with the buttermilk, add the 2 beaten eggs, baking soda and vanilla extract.  Pour this mixture into the slightly cooled chocolate/flour mixture and stir until smooth. 
5. I was able to get 21 regular sized cupcakes, cook at 350º for 12-15 minutes. If you're making a sheet cake bake for about 20 minutes on the same heat temperature.  

The frosting I used was from my earlier post found here, and I added about 4 heaping tsp of cocoa to it.