--------------------------------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.