Recipe Buttermilk is a wonderful ingredient in baking. It has an interesting flavor to start and it also possesses leavening abilities when combined with an alkaline ingredient such as baking soda. This chocolate cake is very American, light and fluffy. It is not difficult, but it takes some time.

Chocolate - Buttermilk Cake

• 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate (you may use 1 cup Nestlé chips)
• 1/4 cup very strong coffee
• 2 cups sifted flour (sift before measuring)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda sifted with the flour
• 6 oz (1 1/2 stick) butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk

Foil and butter two 9" round cake pans.

Preheat your oven to 350F.

In a small metal bowl over simmering water, melt the chocolate with the coffee, then let it cool a bit.

With your mixer, cream the butter very well.

Add the vanilla, and, very slowly, the sugar while beating very well.

Beat in the eggs, one at a time.

Beat in the chocolate.

Beat in the flour-soda mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk in two additions. Beat only as much as necessary now.

Distribute the batter between the pans and place in the oven. Set a timer for 25 minutes.

Quickly, but not brutally, switch the position of the pans in the oven. Set the timer for 10 minutes.

Test the layers with a toothpick. It must come out clean. Be careful, this cake can develop quite a crust without being quite done. Give the layers 5 - 10 more minutes if needed.

Cool the layers completely.

Place one layer upside-down on a serving plate, and the other one on a cooling rack.

Whipped Chocolate Frosting

• 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate (you may use 2/3 cup Nestlé chips)
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

In a small metal bowl over simmering water, melt the chocolate with the cream and the honey.

Let the chocolate cool down to just a little lukewarm. The sides should not solidify.

In another bowl, whip the cream to a VERY SOFT stage - the sort of shape that disappears if you shake the bowl just a little.

Quickly stir some cream in the chocolate to lighten it up a bit, then fold in the rest of the cream.

Spread one third of the cream over the layer  on the plate.

Place the other layer on top and the rest of the frosting over it. Using a turntable, spread the frosting on the sides, then the top.

Decorate with chocolate shavings (use a potato peeler and semi-sweet chocolate)

Refrigerate for at least one hour, but serve on the day you make it.