Toddler on Assignment: Dark Chocolate Cake

Our family had a birthday celebration yesterday, and I enlisted #MimiAkidi's help with cake preparations. She spent the day terribly excited not just about making a cake, but especially about eating it. 

I started the cake in the morning, by pouring the boiling water over the cocoa powder to let it bloom and let Mimi help me to whisk it and bring it together. In the interest of my own sanity, I did the rest of the cake while she was napping, as baking is a bit of restorative mental therapy for me as much as it is fun for her. But, I prefer to bake alone. 

The recipe I used is a pretty well-known one from Williams Sonoma. The best chocolate cake I've ever had was a W-S box mix I made for a friend about 8 years ago. I decided to make this one from scratch for my husband, and it doesn't disappoint!

First, pour boilin water over the cocoa, and let it cool. It's almost like pudding, but don't do what I did and taste it, because...just don't. Trust me on that one!

Then, cream the butter and sugar, pour in the cooled cocoa mixture, and add eggs and vanilla. 

Alternate additions of flour and buttermilk, until you have a light and creamy batter. 

Pour into a well-greased by ft pan (or two 8" rounds) and bake for 55 minutes at 325 (if using rounds, 45 minutes at 350). 

Invert onto a plate, and cool completely. 

Then, as your toddler would wake up smelling the baking cake, enlist her help in decorating. I chose the most toddler friendly way, and opted to just do powdered sugar. 

Mimi takes her baking very seriously. 

Add candles, and your finished cake is ready to eat!!!