Mexican chocolate cake

Cake:

• 4 squares (4 ounces) unsweetened baker’s chocolate
• ½ cup (or one stick) softened butter
• 1 cup hot water
• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups cane sugar (or white)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
• pinch of Cayenne pepper (optional)
• ¹/3 cup buttermilk
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Icing:

• 1 package (or 1 pound) confectioner’s sugar
• 2 squares (2 ounces) unsweetened bakers chocolate
• ¼ cup softened butter
• 8-10 tablespoons milk
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• Sliced strawberries for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Set aside. In a medium saucepan on high heat, melt the butter and chocolate in the water. Bring to a boil, and then remove from heat. Slowly add the chocolate mixture to the flour mixture and mix well with an electric mixer. Stir in the buttermilk, eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth and creamy. Pour into a greased 13”x9” pan (or two 8” pans for two smaller cakes) and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until fork comes out clean. Cool for 15-20 minutes before adding the icing.

For the icing, melt ¼ cup butter and 2 squares of chocolate in a large saucepan. Remove from heat and add ¾ of the box of powdered sugar, 8 tablespoons milk, vanilla and cinnamon. Beat well. You may have to add more confectioner’s sugar or 1 or 2 additional tablespoons of milk, so the icing easily pours over the cake.

Pour the icing over the cake and garnish with sliced strawberries.