--FOR THE CAKE--
1 3/4 c  Boiling water
6 oz Semisweet chocolate,chopped
.coarsely
1 c  Unsweetened cocoa powder
2 c  Sifter cake flour
2 ts Baking soda
1/4 ts Salt
10 oz Unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 c  Packed dark brown sugar
4 lg Eggs
2 ts Vanilla

FOR THE CHOCOLATE GANACHE
1/2 c Heavy cream
2 tb Unsalted butter
4 oz Semisweet chocolate,chopped
-finely

FOR THE FROSTING
2 1/2 Sticks (1 1/4 cups) + 2 T
Unsalted butter, softened
4 1/2 c Confectioners sugar
1 c Unsweetened cocoa powder
2 ts Vanilla
1/4 c + 2 T milk

1. MAKE THE CAKE: Preheat oven to 350F. Butter two 9-inch cake pans, and
line the bottoms with circles of wax paper, then butter and flour the
paper. 2. In a medium bowl, pour the boiling water over the chopped
chocolate. Set aside for 5 minutes. Add the cocoa and stir until the
mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature. 3. In a small
bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. 4. In a large bowl
with an electric mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar and add the eggs
one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Add
the flour mixture and half the chocolate mixture. Beat on low speed to
combine, and then on high for 1 1/2 minutes. Add the remaining chocolate
mixture and beat on low speed to combine. 5. Pour the batter into the
prepared pans and bake for 30-40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in
the center comes out clean. Set the cake pans on a wire rack to cool for 20
minutes.Then invert the cakes onto the racks to cool completely. 6. TO MAKE
THE GANACHE: In a small saucepan, bring the cream and the butter to a
simmer. Add the chocolate, cover for 5 minutes, then stir until smooth.
Refrigerate the ganache until firm enough to spread. 7. TO MAKE THE
FROSTING: In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, cream the butter. In a
medium bowl, whisk together the sugar and cocoa. Beat one-third of the
sugar-cocoa mixture into the butter. Mix in the vanilla. Add the rest of
the sugar-cocoa mixture alternately with the milk and beat until the
frosting is smooth. 8. TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE: Top one layer with the
ganache. Add the second layer of cake and frost the sides, and then the
top. Decoratively pipe frosting around the base and top edges of the cake.