Perfect Chocolate Cake

For the cake:
Lightly grease three 9″ round pans with solid vegetable shortening, then dust with flour and shake out the excess. In an electric mixer, mix the devil’s food cake mix with sour cream, water, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla extract. Mix on low speed for 1 minute. Scrape sides with spatula and mix for another 2 minutes on low and pour equally into the pans. Bake at 350ºF for approximately 20 minutes.

For the chocolate frosting:
Place a large mixing bowl aside filled with ice. In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, melt the semisweet chocolate chips, half-and-half and butter and stir constantly until mixture begins to thicken. Whisk in the confectioner’s sugar. Next, place mixture in the bowl with ice and mix with an electric mixer for 4-5 minutes until the frosting (filling) becomes thick and satiny. Spread over cakes once they have cooled.

For the sweetened cream frosting:
Chill a mixing bowl. Pour whipping cream into a mixer and beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Stop the machine, add the confectioner’s sugar and vanilla extract and beat for 2 minutes. Frost the cake and enjoy.