American cakes for beginners

There was an old people's home near our house and the family next door worked there. Every year, on Independence Day, they would be given cakes from the local American community and I was invited round to try them. They were magnificent, swirls of frosting, abundant on the lightest sponge cakes, nothing like I'd ever tasted before.
For a while, I worked with Americans, and when I was expecting my first baby they invited me along to a" baby shower." I was overwhelmed by their generosity, and once again, their wonderful cakes.
Everytime I asked for the recipe they replied, "it's from a packet". I hunted all through the American magazines that my friend s gave me until I found  the perfect recipe for chocolate cake, made from scratch.
It is for a beginner cook, so rather long, but has all the qualities of those wonderful cakes  made for the Fourth of July. It's also in American measures, I've had the recipe for 30 years, so it's very worn. It's just the thing to make on a Monday to round off all your weekday suppers. Produce it with a flourish, after a simple soup or salad.

The Best Mocha cake

cocoa
2 cups all-purpose flour
1  and two thirds cups of sugar
1 and one third cups water
two thirds cup of butter, softened
3 eggs
2 teaspoons instant coffee
1 and a half teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
half teaspoon double acting baking powder
half teaspoon salt
Mocha butter frosting (below)

early in the day
Prepare the cake pans first,
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (180)

Grease two 9 inch round cake pans: coat bottom and sides of pans lightly with cocoa.
Into a large bowl, measure two thirds cup of cocoa and remaining ingredients except frosting
With mixer at low speed, beat until just mixed. Increase speed to high, beat 4 minutes.
Pour batter into pans. Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centre of cake comes out clean.

Cool cakes in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, cool completely.
To serve:-
Prepare frosting. Place one layer, rounded-side down on cake plate, spread with about one third of frosting.Top with second cake layer, rounded side up, frost side and top of cake with remainging frosting. Makes 16 servings.
.
Mocha butter frosting:
In bowl with mixer at low speed, beat one 16 ounce package icing sugar, half a cup of butter, softened, quarter cup of cocoa, quarter cup of water,1 teaspoon instant coffee,1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and pinch of salt. until light and fluffy.
To make pretty swirls on the frosting use a spoon. Gently press spoon into frosting and give a twist of the wrist.


Along with chocolate Brownies, I can only make this cake once in awhile, or if there are lots of guests, because it's irresistible. I'll just quickly say here, that the chocolate cake recipe is from an American magazine, so the measures are different. American  spoons and cups are a standard size.  1 cup = about 4 ozs or 120 g. You have to use the same cup throughout the recipe, and then it is quite easy.