Cake

4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
½ cup butter, room temp
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
2 tsp. vanilla
2 ½ cups cake flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9x2 inch or three 8x2 inch round cake pans. Line the parchment paper. Melt chocolate and butter, stir to combine. Cool. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and buttermilk until frothy. Mix in vanilla. Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Stir flour mixture into egg mixture. Add chocolate and blend thoroughly. Pour batter into baking pans. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wires racks for 10 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks and cool completely.

Chocolate Frosting

4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
5 cups powereded sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup cream or milk, plus more if needed

Melt chocolate. Let cool. Combine with softened butter. In a medium mixing bowl, combine chocolate mixture, powered sugar, vanilla and cream. Beat until well blended. If icing is too thick, gradually beat in additional cream in small increments until proper consistency is achieved.