"LET'S MAKE A DREIDEL" CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• 1. To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 13-by-9-by-2-inch straight-sided metal cake pan with cooking spray. To help remove the cake, line the pan, lengthwise, with a 17-by-8-inch sheet of parchment paper, and use the overhang as handles. Lightly grease the parchment and set aside.2. Into a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt, then lightly whisk and set aside. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, chocolate, water, and instant coffee and bring just to a boil, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat. Gradually whisk the chocolate mixture into the flour mixture until smooth. Beat in the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla until smooth, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. The batter will be thin.3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Gently tap the pan several times on a counter to settle the batter. Bake until the cake is springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool for 30 minutes. Use the parchment handles to remove the cake to a flat surface. Cool completely before frosting.4. To make the frosting: In a stand mixer set on low speed, beat the butter, powdered sugar, melted chocolate, milk, and salt until the sugar is moist. Slowly increase the speed to medium-high, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. Beat until it reaches a spreading consistency. If necessary, add more milk for a creamier consistency.5. To assemble: See the diagram. To form the dreidel's base, using a ruler and a toothpick, measure and mark the 41/2-inch center point along one 9-inch side. This becomes the dreidel's spinning point. From both corners of this side, measure up 4 inches on each 13-inch side and mark with a toothpick. Using the toothpicks as a guide, cut out the marked triangles. 6. To form the dreidel's top and spinning knob, using a ruler and a toothpick, measure and mark a 3-inch square in one corner of the remaining 9-inch side. Repeat to measure the other corner. Using the toothpicks as guides, cut out the two marked square corners. The cake remaining in the center forms the knob. Using the remnants, create one of the four Hebrew letters-nun, gimel, hay, or shin-to decorate the top of the cake.7. Place the dreidel cake onto a serving plate. To protect the plate while frosting the cake, place strips of waxed paper under the edges of the cake. Using dollops of frosting the cake, place strips of waxed paper under the edges of the cake. Using dollpos of frosting, "glue" the hebrew letter in place before frosting the top and sides of the cake.From Holiday Baking. Text copyright © 2005 by Sara Perry. Photographs copyright © 2005 by Leigh Beisch. All rights reserved. First published by Chronicle Books LLC, San Francisco, California.