Is it ready yet?

Ingredients for cake: Cake and regular flour, sugar, salt, baking SODA (not powder), salt, cocoa, mayonnaise and vanilla.

Ingredients for icing: Unsweetened baker's chocolate, butter, vanilla, salt, confectioner's sugar, milk.

Tools you'll need: wax paper, sifter, and cake rack come in handy. A set of measuring spoons with a 1/8 tsp. measure is also useful.

Sift dry ingredients together to remove lumps.

The wax paper liner keeps the bottom of the cake from sticking to the pan.

Split batter between pans, then bang each pan on counter to remove air bubbles.

Toothpick or cake tester comes out clean when done. Touch cake lightly in center with your fingertip--itshould bounce back (not leave an impression).

Let cake cool on a rack before icing.

Let us in! We want cake too!

Melt chocolate and butter for icing in the microwave.

Spread icing in the middle, but don't go all the way to the edges.

The aftermath.

Willing helper cleans up.

Quality control seal of approval.

Finished cake - the best chocolate cake you'll ever eat.

Dark, moist and fudgey.

Plan to gain approximately 1/2 lb. per slice.