How To Make Chocolate Cake

THE RECIPE: Bland's Chocolate Cake
prep. time: 40 minutes
baking time: 30-45 minutes (9" pans), 45 minutes-1 hour (7"x 2" pans)
serving size: 8-12 glorious slices
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly butter the sides of the pan. If you have parchment liners for the interior bottom of the cake pans, you will end up with more cake! Otherwise, butter the inside bottoms of the pans too.
For cake:
2 cups unbleached flour
1 cup cane sugar
1 cup raw sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder*
½ pound butter, or 2 sticks of butter
1 cup water
4 heaping tablespoons high quality cocoa
2 eggs
½ cup buttermilk**
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
With a fork, combine the first five dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Set aside. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly to integrate any cocoa lumps: butter, water and cocoa. When smooth and blended, pour over dry ingredients and mix well. While stirring, add: eggs, butte