l/2 teaspoon (3.5 grams) salt

l/2 cup (121 grams) milk

2 teaspoons (8 grams) vanilla extract

Grease a 9 inch cake pan then dust with flour, tapping out excess flour (or spray with a vegetable oil and flour spray, such as Baker's Joy). Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift flour, baking powder and salt onto wax paper. Set aside.

In bowl of electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar until well blended. Stop mixer and scrape down sides of bowl and beater. Add beaten eggs, a little at a time, mixing well after each addition.

With mixer on low speed alternately add flour mixture and milk to batter, beginning and ending with flour. Stir in vanilla.

Meanwhile in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water melt the l l/2 ounces of semisweet chocolate. Remove from heat and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool.

After preparing batter, pour half of the batter into a bowl. Stir the chocolate into the batter, blending well. Put the batter into the prepared pan by alternating spoons of vanilla batter and chocolate batter. With a table knife, gently draw swirls through the batter to marbleize it slightly (don't touch pan bottom or sides with knife.) Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake top is golden brown and springy to the touch.

This is a dark shiny glaze which makes a great glaze for any cake.

l tablespoon (l4 grams) Cognac (optional)

Break the chocolate into pieces and process in a food processor until very fine. Put in a heatproof bowl. Meanwhile heat the cream to a boiling point and pour over chocolate. Let sit for about 5 minutes then gently stir until smooth. If there are a lot of air bubbles (air bubbles will be minimal if you use ultra-pasteurized heavy cream) pass through a fine strainer. Stir in Cognac and allow to cool. When cool, a small amount of glaze should mound a bit when dropped from a spoon before smoothly disappearing. If glaze is too thin, gently stir in a small amount of melted chocolate. When consistency is correct, use at once or store and reheat (to reheat glaze use a double boiler, stirring gently).

When ready to glaze the cake, place the cake on a cardboard round the same size as the cake. Suspend the cake on a rack set on a baking sheet to catch excess glaze. Brush all the crumbs from the surface of the cake.

When frosting a cake, the glaze should be poured onto the center of the cake, allowing the excess to flow down the sides. Smooth quickly and evenly with a large metal spatula, moving it lightly back and forth across the top until smooth. If any spots on the sides remain unglazed, use a small metal spatula to lift up some glaze which has fallen onto the baking sheet and apply to uncovered area.

Lift cake from rack using a broad spatula and set on a serving plate or on a clean rack if planning to apply a second coat of glaze.

If you want to cover the cake more thickly and evenly, two coats of glaze can be applied. To do this, after the first coat is applied, refrigerate the cake for 20 minutes or until the glaze is firm. Apply a second coat of tepid glaze. (You will need l l/2 times the glaze for a double coat.)

Allow cake to set for at least 2 hours at room temperature. Refrigerating the cake will dull the glaze slightly.

Note: If planning to refrigerate the glazed cake, replace 2 tablespoons of the cream with corn syrup. This will keep the ganache from cracking and also adds sheen.

Store 3 days room temperature, 2 weeks refrigerated or 6 months frozen.

Makes 2 cups - enough to glaze a 9 inch cake

Confectioners' Frosting

1 cup (l70 grams) shortening

2 teaspoons (8 grams) almond or vanilla extract

1/3 cup (80 grams) milk

Assorted food colors

In an electric mixer, cream the butter and shortening until smooth and well blended. Add the extract. With the mixer on low speed, gradually beat in the sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the milk and beat on high speed until frosting is light and fluffy. Add another l or 2 tablespoons of milk if too dry. Cover the icing with plastic wrap to prevent drying until ready to use. Store it in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Whip before using.

Tint portions of frosting with desired food color (I use the food color that is a paste - available at cake decorating stores and party stores).

This recipe will frost 2 8- or 9- inch cakes. (6 cups)