Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Buttercream

• 1 cup boiling-hot waterwater
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup whole milkmilk
• 1 teaspoon vanillavanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flourflour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking sodabaking-soda
• Rounded 1/2 teaspoon saltsalt
• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softenedbutter
• 2 cups packed dark brown sugarbrown-sugar
• 4 large eggs at room temperature for 30 minutesegg
• 4 cups vanilla buttercreamvanilla
• Various food colorings*
• Special equipment: a metal offset spatula; several small sealable plastic bags (not pleated)
• Garnish: vanilla mini cupcakes

1. 01Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 2 (9- by 2-inch) round cake pans and line bottom of each with a round of wax paper. Butter paper and dust pans with flour, knocking out excess.
2. 02Whisk together hot water and cocoa powder in a bowl until smooth, then whisk in milk and vanilla.
3. 03Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in another bowl.
4. 04Beat together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce speed to low and add flour and cocoa mixtures alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture (batter may look curdled).
5. 05Divide batter between cake pans, smoothing tops. Bake until a wooden pick or skewer comes out clean and edges of cake begin to pull away from sides of pans, 25 to 35 minutes total. Cool layers in pans on racks 10 minutes, then invert onto racks, removing wax paper, and cool completely.
6. 06Put 1 cake layer, rounded side up, on a cake stand or platter and, using offset spatula, spread top with about 1 cup buttercream. Top with remaining cake layer, rounded side down, and frost side and top of cake with 2 cups buttercream.

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