taste of tuesday: cinco de mayo menu (& dark chocolate cake)

getting ready to leave town for a few days but had I had to share two things I love: dark chocolate and mexican food. any reason to have a party, esp when my birthday happens to fall on cinco de mayo. so, if I were cooking tomorrow (who is crazy enough to go to a mexican restaurant on the 5th of may?), I would try chipotle lime soft tacos with corn and black bean salsa. and then I'd follow it up with this dark chocolate cake with dark chocolate frosting. so dark it is almost black. don't forget a tall glass of milk.Hershey's "Especially Dark" Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup Hershey's Special Dark cocoa
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round pans.

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of electric mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely before frosting with "especially dark" chocolate frosting.

"Especially Dark" Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients:

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
• 1/2 cup Hershey's Special Dark cocoa
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup milk

Directions:
Melt the butter. Stir in cocoa. Add powdered sugar alternately with milk, beating to spreading consistency.

Makes about 2 cups.