Chocolate Glazed Devil's Food Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Directions

For Frosting: Beat all ingredients and set aside.

For Glaze: Melt chocolate in top of a double boiler over warm (not boiling) water.

Stir in butter, water and sugar until smooth and reserve for glazing the cake.

Heat oven to 350℉ (180℃).

Generously grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans.

In a large bowl with electric beater or mixer, beat butter, ¾ cup sugar, salt and vanilla together until fluffy.

Combine cocoa, flour, and soda in a sifter. Sift into bowl on top of butter mixture.

Add water and beat at low speed just until smooth.

With clean beaters in a medium bowl, beat egg whites until fluffy.

Gradually add remaining ¾ cup sugar.

Continue beating until stiff peaks form.

Fold, one-third at a time, into chocolate batter.

Divide batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake until centers spring back when touched, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Cool 5 minutes in pans. Turn out on cooling rack and cool completely.

Prepare cocoa frosting. Fill and assemble cake. Spread a thin smooth layer of frosting over cake.

Refrigerate 1 hour.

Prepare chocolate glaze. Place chilled cake on a cooling rack with a tray underneath it.

Spoon glaze onto top of cake. Spread evenly allowing glaze to flow down sides.

Smooth sides.

Place cake, still on cooling rack with tray, in refrigerator until glaze is firm.

Decorate top with extra cocoa and confectioners' sugar checkerboard just before serving, if desired.

Place 1-inch strips of thin cardboard gently onto frosting 1-inch apart.

Sift unsweetened cocoa over top of cake to solidly fill spaces.

Carefully remove and clean strips.

Place gently in opposite direction.

Sift confectioners' sugar over cake.

Remove strips.