Crave-Worthy Chocolate Cake

Howdy friends, we're in the whirlwind of a move this week and over the next few weeks so you won't see quite as many posts as usual...please bear with me and know that some great new posts are coming soon because we'll be in a new town (Boston!) and a new house (new to us at least).  Lots of thrifty decorating, crafts, and DIY projects to come!  In the mean time, enjoy this...

Are you drooling yet?  If not, you may need your head examined...  Do you ever just have a hankerin' for chocolate decadence?  If you're like my husband, you definitely do - this is what we came up with on one of those "I think I want some chocolate cake" nights.  It's a cake-frosting combo of two recipes we found - 1) One Bowl Chocolate Cake from AllRecipes.com, and 2) Chocolate Buttercream Frosting from Savory Sweet Life.  Here is the one-two chocolate combo from our craving hearts to yours.

Ingredients for Cake:
2 cups white sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

(Super Easy) Directions for Cake:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour two 9" round pans or one 9"x13" pan.

2. In large bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla extract.  Mix for 2 minutes on medium speed.  Stir in boiling water. (Batter will be very thin!)

3. Pour evenly into prepped pans and place in preheated oven.

4. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until the cake bounces back from your touch (or the toothpick test is clear).  Cool in pan(s) for 10 minutes then remove to a wire rack if frosting round cakes (or leave in pan for 9"x13").  Make sure to cool completely before frosting.

Ingredients for Frosting:
1 cup butter, softened (note: we used salted butter for the salty sweet combo, but the original recipe calls for unsalted)
3 1/2 cups powdered (confectioners) sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract or 1 tsp almond extract (we did almond and it was delicious!)
4 Tbsp milk or heavy cream (we used whole milk)

Directions for Frosting:
1. Cream butter for a few minutes with a mixer on medium speed.

2. Turn off mixer and add powdered sugar and cocoa.  Turn mixer on lowest speed until sugar and cocoa are absorbed by butter.

3. Increase mixer speed to medium, then add vanilla extract, salt, and milk.  Mix for about 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy.  (Note: If frosting needs to be thicker, add powdered sugar - if it needs to be thinned out, add additional milk 1 Tbsp at a time)

4. Frost your completely-cooled cake, then slice and serve for some big smiles.

Now pour yourself some milk and indulge away!   And, let us know what you think.  What is your favorite crave-worthy dessert?