Dark Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Mousse Filling

My brother-in-law, Jay, had a birthday this past weekend and I offered to make a cake. He requested a chocolate cake, so I tried to make it special with dark chocolate frosting and a chocolate mousse filling. This cake recipe never fails me, and the dark chocolate frosting was simple but divine.

The cake (in a photo with horrible lighting...).Jay prepares to blow out the candles as Leslie (who finished a half marathon earlier that morning) and Brady look on. CHOCOLATE CAKE

From Hershey's

INGREDIENTS

2 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup Hershey's Cocoa

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line three 9-inch pans with wax paper and spray pans with cooking spray.

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla, a beat on medium speed of mixer for 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake 25-30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely before frosting.

DARK CHOCOLATE FROSTING

From Hershey's

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup Hershe's Special Dark Cocoa

3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Melt butter, stir in cocoa.

2. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount of additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. Makes about 2 cups frosting.