Ingredients
Wet Ingredient Mixture (for smaller metal bowl):
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2 oz. chocolate (milk or dark), chopped (I just use a regular Hershey's chocolate bar)
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1 cup unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder
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1 tsp. instant espresso powder
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1 3/4 cups boiling water
Dry Ingredients:
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2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
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1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
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1/2 tsp. regular table salt
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1/4 tsp. baking powder
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1/4 tsp. cinnamon
Wet Ingredients for Mixer Bowl:
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1 cup sugar
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1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
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1 tsp. molasses
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1 1/3 cups regular heavy mayonnaise such as Hellmann's or Duke's (*do not use reduced-fat or fat-free)
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2 extra-large eggs
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2 tsp. vanilla extract
Additional Ingredients:
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shortening and flour for pans
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. (*325º if using dark-coated non-stick pans.) Butter (or use butter-flavored shortening) and flour three 8-inch cake pans. Combine chopped chocolate, cocoa powder and espresso powder in medium-sized metal bowl. Add 1 3/4 cups boiling water, and whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Set aside.Sift or whisk flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon into another medium bowl. Using large mixer bowl, beat both sugars, molasses, and mayonnaise until well blended, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture in 4 additions alternately with chocolate mixture in 3 additions, beating until blended after each addition and occasionally scraping down sides and bottom of bowl. Divide batter among prepared cake pans (about 2 1/3 cups for each).Bake cakes in fully preheated oven 25 -30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans on cooling racks 20 minutes. Run a small knife around sides of cakes to loosen if needed. Carefully invert cakes onto cooling racks, and let cool completely.Frost inside layers with dark chocolate frosting, and outside of cake with milk chocolate frosting. (*Recipes below.)
