My Aunt Natty's Chocolate Cake

This is a very simple, yet delicious and moist chocolate cake. My favorite cook (besides my mom) is my Aunt Natty from Caracas, she's always giving me great cooking tips and recipes. Enjoy!

For the cake:

• 2 sticks of unsalted butter
• 2 1/4 cups of sugar
• 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 8 eggs, separated
• 3 1/2 cups flour, sifted
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• pinch salt

for the filling and frosting:

• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 10 oz chopped semi or bitter-sweet chocolate
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 oz white chocolate

Preheat the oven at 350°

Melt the chocolate in the milk with low heat, let it cool. In a separate bowl mix the flour, the baking powder and salt. Cream the butter and the sugar, add the cooled chocolate milk, the vanilla extract and the egg yolks. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks, add to the butter mixture. Finally add the flour mixture (preferably by hand, with a wooden spoon). Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Is ready when a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

For the filling and frosting, heat the cream and when hot add to the chopped chocolate, let it rest and mix well. Add the butter and let it cool. When cooled fill and cover the cake. Melt the white chocolate add to the frosted cake making parallel lines, run a knife through it to make the pattern in the picture.