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• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (or substitute vanilla)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Yield:3 nine inch cake layers, or 2 dozen cupcakes, or 1 twelve inch cake layer

1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. Prepare cake pans (line cupcake pan with papers, or grease and flour cake pans)
3. Cream together the butter, sugar, vanilla and almond extracts until light and fluffy
4. Beat in the eggs one at a time
5. In another bowl mix together the flour, cocoa, and baking soda
6. Beat flour mixture into the butter/sugar mixture alternately with the buttermilk
7. Fold in the chocolate chips
8. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (25-30 minutes for 3 9“ layers, less for cupcakes, more for one large cake layer)
9. Cool completely, then frost as desired

Source: Softasilk Cake Flour box plus Arwen's modifications

NOTES 11 October 2008: Made as cupcakes for Mike's birthday. Used chocolate frosting for honey chocolate chip cupcakes. Very good. Even Braedon ate the cake part. Made 2 1/2 dozen cupcakes with large scooper. 18 October 2008: Made 3 nine inch layers but treated individually. Froze one, decorated 2 as Halloween cakes (one for school, one for us). Used vanilla buttercream frosting, and decorated with candy corn and Halloween rubber duckies. Also, was short on cocoa powder so I added one melted unsweetened chocolate square. I think it was even better. 25 October 2008: Made as one large (i.e 12”) layer for Braedon's birthday party. Used only vanilla extract (no almond) as I wasn't sure if any of the kids had nut issues. Frosted with vanilla buttercream. It was a big hit.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

• 16 ounces confectioners sugar
• 6 Tb butter
• 3 Tb milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix all together until desired consistency (add more sugar if too runny, add more milk if too stiff)

I think I doubled the frosting recipe, and then also needed another 1/2 batch for the Pikachu & words