Moist Devil’s Food Cake With Frosting

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange two racks in center of oven. Line bottoms
of three 8- by 2-inch buttered cake pans with parchment paper. Dust bottoms
and sides with extra cocoa; tap out excess. Sift the 3/4 cup cocoa; whisk
with boiling water. Let cool. In electric mixer fitted with the paddle
attachment, cream butter on low until light and fluffy, and gradually beat
in the sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes; scrape down sides
twice. Beat in the vanilla. Gradually drizzle in eggs, beating between each
addition until batter is no longer slick, scraping down sides twice. Sift
flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together the cocoa mixture with the
milk. With mixer on low speed, alternate adding flour mixture and cocoa
mixture, a little of each at a time, starting and ending with the flour.
Divide evenly into the three pans. Bake 35 to 45 minutes, rotating the pans
for even baking, if needed, until a cake tester inserted into the center of
each comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack, about 15 minutes. Remove the
cakes from the pans, and return to rack to cool, tops up. Make the
Chocolate Frosting: Place chocolate and cream in heavy saucepan. Cook over
low heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, until combined and
thickened, 20 to 25 minutes. Increase heat to medium-low, and cook,
stirring, 3 minutes more. Remove from heat; stir in corn syrup. Transfer to
a large metal bowl; refrigerate. Check every 15 to 20 minutes; stir until
cool enough to spread, about 2 hours. (Makes 6 cups) To assemble cake,
remove papers from bottoms of cakes. Save the prettiest layer for the top.
Place one layer on the serving platter, spread with 1 1/2 cups of the
chocolate frosting, and repeat with second layer, top with third. Cover
outside of cake with remaining 3 cups frosting. Makes three 8 inch layers.