madbaker | Cake isn't that difficult. Why is pie considered easy?

This week's Resolution Recipe: Chocolate Cake.

1 3/4 cup sugar
2 1/4 cups flour
2 Tbsp cornstarch
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 large eggses
1/2 cup oil
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla (I used 1 Tbsp)
1 cup hot water

Heat oven to 350 and lightly grease and flour two 9" cake pans.
In a large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Add the eggses, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla; beat on medium speed for two minutes. Stir in the hot water - the batter will be thin. Pour into the pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pans, then turn out to cool completely on a rack.

Fill and glaze as desired.

What worked: I used home-made strawberry jam and a bittersweet chocolate ganache in between and over/around. The thing was freakin' huge, though.

What didn't: I forgot to use my cake strips - it's been so long since I made a cake, I forgot that I had them. They do wonders in helping minimize doming; my two layers were not as flat as they would have been if I had remembered the tool.

Will I make it again? I don't make cakes or desserts that often (usually for a homeowners' meeting, as I did this one). It was a fine recipe, though.
And now I must go start the 1604 baked pastries for breakfast.

What I'm reading: Mike Carey, Thicker Than Water