Best Chocolate Cake Ever

Hot Cocoa Cake

This is super-yummy. My husband doesn't even like chocolate cake normally, but we
fought over the last slice of this (he held me off at knife-point while he devoured that last piece).

Ingredients:

Cake:
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate and Cocoa
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. + 1/8 t. cayenne powder
1 c. water
1/4 c. oil
1 T. vanilla extract
1 T. balsamic vinegar

Glaze:
1 1/2 c. confectioners sugar
2 T. water
2 T. butter, melted
1 t. vanilla extract

(I'm working on a different glaze for this cake - possibly using marshmallow creme - but haven't come up with one I really like yet)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.

Grease your cake pan and dust with cocoa powder - I usually dust it with my
less expensive, unsweetened cocoa powder rather than my favorite Ghirardelli.

Combine the first 6 ingredients, stirring until everything is pretty well blended together.

Add the last 4 ingredients and stir the mixture until smooth.

Pour the batter into the cake pan.

LICK THE SPOON - I'm telling you, it's divine.

Bake the cake for at least 30 minutes, probably more depending on the size and type of pan you use. Use a toothpick to check for doneness - if it comes out clean, the cake is done.

Place the pan on a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes before removing the cake. Allow the cake to completely cool before spreading the glaze over the top. Allow the glaze to run down the sides.

Now quick - eat the cake before your spouse comes along and sees it.