Black and white cake with fudge frosting

The girls asked me to make a cake for them over the weekend. Caroline's favorite cake is chocolate and Katherine's favorite is vanilla. So I satisfied them both with a black and white cake. They both agreed to chocolate fudge frosting. This cake is light and fluffy but rich. A small piece does the trick.

Black and white cake

3/4 stick (around 1/3 cup) butter
1/2 cup milk
1 cup + 2 tablespoons cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 oz unsweetened chocolate

Place butter and milk in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the butter has melted. Let cool.
Beat the eggs and sugar together at high speed until the mixture is thick and glossy yellow. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. Stir the flour mixture into the eggs and sugar. Stir in the butter and milk. Add the vanilla.

Pour half the batter into an 8 X 8 square baking pan that has been greased and floured.

Melt the unsweetened chocolate (try it in the microwave for 1 - 2 minutes at power level 5). Stir the melted chocolate into the remaining cake batter and pour evenly over the vanilla cake batter.

Bake for 25 minutes at 325 F. Cool in pan for 5 minutes before turning out the cake.

Easy fudge frosting

I've always baked with fresh ingredients but after making this frosting I am an evaporated-milk-in-a-can-convert. This is hands down the best fudge frosting and it's easy to make.

2 cups sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
6 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate (I like Trader Joe's Pound Plus 72 % Dark Chocolate)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Place the sugar, butter and milk in a saucepan over low heat. Once the butter has melted, increase the heat to bring the mixture to a boil. Let it boil at a rolling boil for 7 minutes.

Remove from the heat and pour into a mixing bowl with the bittersweet chocolate. Mix together. Let the mixture cool, stirring every once in a while. Once mixture is no longer hot, beat at high speed until the frosting is smooth and thick and can easily be spread. Stir in the vanilla.  Spread on the cake.