Double Layer Chocolate Cake

Have a good laugh at my photography skills. Listen I barely have time to floss let alone learn how to take a decent picture. Moving on...
I use to cringe when mom assigned me the cake for the monthly birthday party, but now I like to experiment with cake recipes. I am essentially trying to one up myself each time I make one. Sad hobby I know but when you have kids following you into the bathroom you look forward to some alone time with a cake. This time the cake was for my sweet nephew. He is a soccer guy through and through so we used cheap soccer balls from the grocery store for cake decor and used the candles as the goals. Remember to use parchment paper on the bottom of your pans and spray the sides well to make cake removal a piece of...oh, you get what I'm saying! This cake recipe is courtesy of my friend Jamie.

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour (I always use unbleached cause I'm crazy like that)
1 2/3 cups sugar
3/4 cup softened butter
2/3 baking cocoa (Love the Dutch processed)
1 1/4 cups water
1 tsp. salt
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla (use the real stuff please, in fact find Mexican vanilla is you're feeling loco)
1/4 tsp. baking powder
2 large eggs

Set oven to 350. Grease two 9 inch round pans and use parchment paper to line the bottoms (just trace the cake pan and cut out with scissors...just like kindergarten). In a large mixing bowl combine all wet ingredients. then mix in all dry ingredients. Mix for 30 seconds on medium, scraping the sides as needed. Beat all of the ingredients on high for 4 minutes. Divide evenly among pans and bake for 20-25 minutes. If a toothpick comes out clean your cake is done. Cool for 10 minutes and then remove from pans and cool completely on rack.

Delicious Chocolate Frosting:
(adapted from America's Test Kitchen)

8 oz. semi-sweet Chocolate ( actually used half milk, half semi)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch Salt
2 tbs. cocoa
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar

Melt chocolate in microwave at 3o second increments, add vanilla and salt. Beat the butter in a mixer on medium-high until smooth, about 30-60 seconds. Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the sugar and cocoa. Beat until smooth, 2 to 5 minutes. Beat in the chocolate mixture. Increase mixer speed to medium-high and beat until the mixture is fluffy, 4 to 8 minutes.