Chocolate Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C).  Grease and flour two 9-inch round pans.
2. In a large bowl, combine and mix all dry ingredients (sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt).
3. In a medium bowl, thoroughly mix eggs, milk, oil, vanilla extract, and water for approximately 2 mins.
4. Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly for approximately 5 – 7 mins until all large bumps are gone. *Note: Small bumps of flour/cocoa may remain present.  Fill each pan 2″ deep with batter.
5. Bake on top rack for 30 – 35 mins until a wooden pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.  Cool completely before cutting the cake in half horizontally.

Buttercream Frosting

1. Mix sugar and margarine together until the mixture’s consistency is of a softened paste.
2. Mix in vanilla and 6 tablespoons of milk.  For thinner buttercream icing, add in 2 tablespoons milk, one tablespoon at a time.
3. Using a clean butter knife add in 1/2″ ribbon of gel icing color and stir well.  Add more color if desired and frost the top layer of cake and set aside when finished.
4. Repeat the addition of icing gel color by increasing another 1/2″ ribbon at a time until desired color appears.  Remember to not go too dark on the second layer of cake so you can have darkest shade for the third layer.