Mocha Cake with Buttercream Icing

A few years ago a friend's mom made this for us on his birthday. I LOVED it so much and have been making it ever since! It's amazing! And I also recently discovered that it so much easier to make if you have a Kitchenaid.I sometimes make it in two square layers with these fruit by the foot ribbons (dampen with water and drag through sugar then form a bow using a toothpick) to make it look like a gift.

Mocha Cake with Butter Icing

Cake:  
2 c sugar                       ¾ c cocoa                     1 c milk
½ c butter, softened      1 tsp baking powder      1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs                           2 tsp baking soda          1 c black coffee
2 c flour                       

Cream sugar, butter, and eggs. Add alternately flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, milk, and vanilla. Add coffee. Baked in greased and floured pan on 325 for 35-45 minutes.

Icing:
3½ TBS flour                1½ sticks butter            1 tsp vanilla
¾ c milk                        ¾ c sugar                      pinch salt

Cook flour and milk to form smooth thick paste. Cool. Cream butter and sugar until sugar dissolves (5+ min). Add flour paste, 1 tsp vanilla,  and salt. Cream for 5 minutes.