Thanksgiving Pre-game: Part 1: Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting

I love Thanksgiving, mostly because I love to eat and I can eat as much as I want on Thanksgiving without being embarrassed (it is what you are supposed to do right?).  This year we are going to have 7 guests (plus a new baby) and I wanted to get a jump on cooking.  I made the desserts today because they will still be delicious tomorrow.  Tomorrow I will be making the turkey (23 lbs!), stuffing, mashed potatoes, fried corn, green beans, popovers, and gravy.  (Look for new posts all day). 

This is my go to chocolate cake recipe.

Ingredients:

Cake:
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup plus 3 Tablespoons white rice flour, sweet rice flour, tapioca flour, and soy flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup boiling water

Frosting:

1/3 cup butter (softened)
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Cake:
1.  Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Grease and flour 2 (9in) round baking pans

3.  Stir together sugar, flours, salt, cocoa, baking powder, and baking soda

4.  Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla
5.  Beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes
6.  Stir in boiling water (the batter for this cake will be thin!)

7.  Pour into greased and floured pans
8.  Bake for 30 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean
9.  Cool for 10 minutes then turn out of pans to continue to cool on wire racks (sometimes I turn them out onto a plate)
10.  Cool Completely!

Frosting:
1.  In a large bowl beat butter with an electric mixer until creamy
2.  Add 2 cups of powdered sugar and beat with electric mixer until combined
3.  Add milk and 3rd cup of powdered sugar
4.  Add 4th cup of powdered sugar and vanilla, beat until smooth
5.  Add milk if needed

I decorated this cake with peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, and some Hershey Kisses.  I think it came out really festive!