O.K......here it is!

Now that I know ya'll are still out there I will share the recipe!! Thanks for all of you who commented! Us bloggers LOVE comments!

The Cake
1/4 cup butter butter
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup canola oil
4 1/2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finally chopped
3 cups sugar
3/4 unsweetened cocoa powder
3 eggs, at room temp.
3/4 cup buttermilk, room temp.
2 Tbs. vanilla extract
2 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Butter 3 9x2-inch cake pans and line each with parchment paper. butter the parchment, then dust with flour and knock out the excess.
In 3-quart saucepan, combine the butter, oil, chopped chocolate, and 1 cup water. Heat over medium heat until melted.
In large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, and the cocoa powder. Pour the hot chocolate mixture into the sugar mixture and whisk until combined.
Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, then whisk in the buttermilk, vanilla, baking soda, and salt. Divide the batter evenly among the pans.
Bake in 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean.
Cool on racks for ten minutes. Invert the cakes onto the racks, remove the parchment, and cool completely.

Chocolate Frosting
6oz good semisweet chocolate
2 sticks 1/2 pound butter, at room temp.
1 extra large egg yolk, at room temp.
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 Tablespoon instant coffee powder (optional)

Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.
In the bowl of am electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on med. speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the the confectioners' sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. dissolve the coffee powder in 2 teaspoons of the hottest tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don't whip! Spread immediately on the cooled cake.
*you can use any good semisweet chocolate, but don't use chocolate chips because they contain stabilizers.*


Homemade Marshmallows
3 1/4-oz envelopes unflavored powdered gelatin
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 Tbs. confectioners' sugar; more as needed

Poor 3/4 cup cold water into bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water. Attach the bowl mixer and fit it with the whisk attachment.
Clip a candy thermometer to a 3-quart saucepan; don't let the tip of the thermometer touch the bottom of the pan. In the saucepan, boil the the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and the 3/4 cup water over medium heat without stirring until it reaches 234 degrees to 235, about 10 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, pour the hot sugar mixture into the gelatin in a slow, thin stream.
add the vanilla, carefully increase the speed to high, and beat until the mixture has thickened and cooled, about 5 minutes(the bottom of the bowl should be just warm to the touch). Line a 9x13-inch pan with foil, leaving an overhang on 2 sides. sift 1 Tbs. of the confectioners' sugar into the bottom of the pan, then pour the marshmallow mixture into the pan and sift another 1 Tbs. confectioners' sugar on top. let sit at room temperature until set, at least 2 hours.
When cutting the marshmallows, dip your knife into cold water after each cut, then put the marshmallows in a bowl of confectioners' sugar and toss to coat the sticky sides. Wrapped well the leftover marshmallows will keep at room temperature for up to a month.