My Favorite Awesome Chocolate Cake - Ever.

So, I have to admit that this is a combo of 2 recipes, with a twist of Kristen thrown in. Because I want to try to make everything on "the Pioneer Woman Cooks" website, I made "The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever", and it was really, really good and gone in a number of minutes. But, I prefer a thicker cake, loaded with chocolate chips. Then I remembered a recipe that my friend, Leca gave me for "Awesome Chocolate Cake" - which lives up to it's name. So, wanting a taste of both of them and preferring butter cream icing to fudgy icing I came up with this combo for "My Favorite Awesome Chocolate Cake - Ever". The "my" not claiming the recipe - just that it is the chocolate cake that I LOVE!!! Just a warning DO NOT USE A BUNDT CAKE PAN FOR THIS CAKE. (I tried and it collapsed, but we ate it anyway). I made it this weekend (in a 9 by 13 pan, cake didn't collapse) for a family get together and it was a hit. It is now gone and I am trying to invent a reason to make this cake again really soon.

Ingredients for the cake:

• 2 cups Flour
• 2 cups Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 package of chocolate instant pudding
  
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• 4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa (I actually measured this out and it was about 3/4 cup cocoa last time I made it.)So, I would estimate it is really between 2/3 to 3/4 cup.
• 2 sticks Butter
• 1 cup Boiling Water
• 1 cup of vanilla yogurt or sour cream
  
• 2 whole Beaten Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 to 2 cups of chocolate chips (I prefer 2 cups semi sweet or milk choc.)
  

Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting:

• 2 sticks Butter, softened.
  
• 5 to 6 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup, depending on how chocolaty you want it)
• 6 Tablespoons Milk
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 3 to 4 cups Powdered Sugar (I have to taste it after 3 cups, just to make sure it is sweet enough).
  

Preparation Instructions

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, pudding mix, and salt.

In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together. Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds. Stir it so that it cools a little bit and won't fry the eggs when you add them.

In a measuring cup, measure yogurt and add beaten eggs, and vanilla. Stir egg mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into a greased 9 by 13 pan (DO NOT USE A BUNDT CAKE PAN, THE CAKE WILL COLLAPSE. IT WILL BE VERY TASTY AND YOUR FAMILY WILL LOVE YOUR MISTAKE, BUT IT WILL BE VERY UGLY.) Bake at 350-degrees for about 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

While cake is baking, make the icing. Whip butter with whipping attachment for mixer, or use regular paddle. If using whipping attachment it is fluffier. Whip in cocoa. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Whip until well mixed. Ice over cooled cake and make sure that all children are outside so that you can enjoy scraping the bowl yourself.

I put our cake in the fridge so that the icing would not melt. This was really awesome and I don't even have a picture for you because the cake is gone. Sorry.