North Douglas Chocolate Cake

North Douglas Chocolate Cake
From Fiddlehead Restaurant in Juneau,AK
is also in The Fiddlehead Cookbook

Prep time: 30 minutes—after first time, it seems to go together much faster.
Baking cooling: 1 hour
Completion time: 30 minutes
Cake:
1 cup water
¼ pound butter
½ cup safflower or corn oil
3 ½ Tabls. Sifted Dutch process dark cocoas (other cocoas will produce a lighter, sweeter cake and icing, like milk chocolate)
2 cups unbleached white flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teas. baking soda
½ teas. salt
2 eggs
½ cup buttermilk
1 teas. vanilla extract
Icing:
¼ pound +4 Tabls. butter
4 cups confectioners sugar
½ cup Dutch process cocoa
3 Tabls. milk—I like to use strong coffee here instead
1 ½ teas. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375F.
Butter and flour two 8 or 9” cake pans

Combine water, butter, oil, and cocoa in small pan and bring to boil.
While mixture is coming to boil. Sift together next four ingredients in large bowl.
Whisk eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla in small bowl and set aside.
When butter mixture comes to boil, pour over flour mixture and stir until just combined.Add egg mixture and fold together gently.
Pour into prepared pans.
Bake 20-25 minutes, 8” will take slightly longer. Remove from oven when tester comes out clean. Let rest briefly, then turn out on racks to cool completely.

In medium bowl, beat butter until smooth, add confectioners sugar and cocoa. Stir until they are partially combined. Stir in milk and vanilla and beat until smooth and spreadable. Additional confectioners sugar may be necessary if it seems too soft.

Place one layer on plate top side up, ice, sides and top. Place second layer, top down, and ice sides and top. Use any remaining icing for decorating
Chill briefly to set icing.

For a bigger crew, I double it and bake in a rectangular pan.