Ann Curry’s favorite hometown chocolate cake recipe

Beat butter until light. Add sugar. Beat in cream cheese in small pieces. Beat well to avoid lumps. While beating on low, add vanilla.

Scrape with spatula to make sure all butter is beaten into frosting.

Melt butter gently in double boiler, then stir in the chocolate and cool to room temperature.

Sift all dry ingredients together in a large metal bowl and stir with wire whisk.

Whisk eggs lightly. Do not overbeat. Stir in buttermilk and vanilla.

Add dry ingredients to wet gradually, stirring with a large whisk.

Add butter-chocolate mixture. Blend well, avoid overbeating.

Pour 2 cups of batter into three greased and floured 2x10 inch pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 mins. Cool cake for ten minutes, then transfer to wire cooling rack.

Assembly: Put first layer onto a plate. Cover with cream cheese frosting 1/3 inch thick. Place second cake layer on top. Cover second with frosting. Repeat with third layer. Cover entire cake with a thin layer of frosting to cover the crumbs. Cool in refrigerator for 10-12 minutes. Ice entire cake smoothly with thicker layer of frosting.

Make design around the edges using ½ cup measure of chocolate ganache. Let ganache drizzle down the sides of the cake. Add chocolate hearts for decoration.