Chocolate Cake

Fluffy, rich, and oh-so-chocolatey, this is the best chocolate cake I've had that's made from scratch. Thanks, Cooking Light, for the inspiration.

yield: 12 servings

Cake:
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup boiling water
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2 egg whites
1 cup buttermilk

Icing:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbsp cocoa
2 Tbsp 1% milk
1 tsp butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350° .
2. To prepare cake, combine 1/2 cup cocoa and water in a small bowl; cool. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl, stirring with a whisk. Place sugar, butter, and vanilla in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add egg and egg whites, beating well after each addition. Beat in cocoa/water mixture. Add four mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating well after each addition.
3. Pour batter into a 9x13 baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until the cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool in pan 10 minutes on wire rack.
4. To prepare icing, combine the powdered sugar and 3 Tbsp cocoa in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add milk, butter, and vanilla; stir with a whisk until smooth. Spread over cake.