Chili Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup cake flour, plus
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups water
• 2 Tablespoons ancho red chili powder
• 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature

Chocolate Frosting

• 3/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 6 Tablespoons buttermilk
• 1 1/2 lbs confectioners' sugar
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons Bourbon
• 3 Tablespoons vanilla extract
• Chocolate Curls *Optional
• 4 cups Melting chocolate wafers (White, Dark, or Milk)

or

• A fairly big chunk of melting chocolate (about 1x4 inches) or big enough to safely handle while using a knife)
• * You can usually find these in the bulk section of most grocery stores.

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line two, 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper, grease the paper with butter and lightly dust with flour.
3. In a mixing bowl stir the flour, cake flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder together.
4. Over medium heat, heat one cup of the water and the chili powder to the simmering point. Remove from the heat. Stir in the vanilla.
5. Using an electric mixer on medium-low speed, add the softened butter to the flour mixture and beat thoroughly. The mixture wil be grainy.
6. Turn the speed up to medium and gradually add the remaining cup of water and the buttermilk.
7. Beat the eggs in one at a time, beating well after each one is added.
8. Slowly pour in the water with the chili beat until just combined. Don't over beat.
9. Pour the mixture into the prepared pans and place into the preheated oven.
10. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centers of the cake comes out clean.
11. Remove from the oven and set the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto the racks, remove the parchment paper then turn back over so the tops of the cake are up.
12. Let sit until completely cool before frosting.

Frosting

1. Place the butter and cocoa into a large saucepan and met the butter over medium heat. Stir in the buttermilk and use a whisk to combine the mixture.
2. Whisk in the confectioners' sugar a little at a time.
3. Stir in the bourbon and vanilla. Transfer to a bowl. The frosting will stiffen as it cools, when it reaches a spreadable consistency, assemble the cake.
4. Place one layer of cake onto the cake plate, do a layer of frosting, then the second layer of cake.
5. Frost the tops and sides and garnish with dark and white chocolate curls.
6. Chocolate Curls *Optional
7. If using melting chocolate you will need to melt these down in a double boiler, or with a pot filled with water and a bowl that can rest on top of it. Use low heat when doing this.
8. When chocolate is melted pour into a small container (a small Tupperware, or glass container) lined with parchment paper, so that you can make a little brick of chocolate. Let this set, until chocolate has hardened up.
9. Now whether your using a big chunk, or the brick of melted chocolate. Take a straight edged knife, and with a bit of pressure, drag knife across the chocolate. It should curl and flake off.
10. Tip: Be sure not to handle chocolate too much as it will start to melt in your hands.