Tiered Chocolate Cake

To make the frosting, put the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring the cream to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour the hot cream directly over the chocolate and let it sit without stirring for 5 minutes. Using a whisk, stir in the center of the mixture in a small, tight circular motion until fully combined. Add the butter and stir until it is fully incorporated. Put a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the ganache and set aside at room temperature for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to around 350 degrees. Butter the three 8-inches round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and grease it with butter. Spread cocoa powder on it, and dust the excess powder. Put cocoa powder into a medium bowl; add water and mix to form dough.

Mix flour, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl and set it aside. Put butter into the bowl of electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix it at very low speed until it gets creamy. Gradually put sugar and mix it until it gets pale and fluffy, this might take 3-4 minutes, now add egg to the content, mix it until it is well blended, and then add vanilla to get the flavor.

Put milk in the reserved cocoa mixture, keep mixer at very low speed and put flour mixture to butter mixture, divide it into 3 parts, and place it alternately with cocoa mixture.

Now divide the batter evenly among the 3 buttered pans and smoothen the tops with a spatula. Bake it by rotating the pan halfway to spread the butter so that the cake tester inserted at the center comes out clean; this may take 35-45 minutes. Keep the pan to cool for about 15 minutes. Now turn out the cake onto racks. Remove the parchment paper and keep it aside so that it cools completely.