Perfect Chocolate Cake

Not even kidding. This cake is a chocolate lovers dream. However, you'll kinda have to take my word on it, b/c my pictures totally do not do this cake justice.  It was very poor lighting and I was in a hurry.  And I think I had consumed some adult beverage(s). Maybe, not committing to that one.  My brother said he wanted a chocolate cake with chocolate icing for his birthday.  Awesome!  But not any old cake would do, I wanted the Perfect Chocolate Cake!  I deviated from the original recipe just a bit, and also made it a bundt cake instead of a layer cake.

You know when you have butter, chocolate and cream together....it's gonna be good.

Chocolate cake, with a thick layer of fudge-y chocolate filling, and a chocolate glaze on top (not pictured).  Oh yes.

Perfect Chocolate Cake slightly adapted from Tasty Kitchen

my changes are in italics

FOR THE CHOCOLATE CAKE:

1 package (18.25 oz. size) Devil's Food Cake With Pudding
1 cup fat free plain yogurt
¾ cups Water
1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup olive oil
4 whole Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

FOR THE CHOCOLATE FILLING:

1 package (12 Oz. Size) Semi-Sweet Chocolates
1/4 cup fat free half-and-half (that's what I had on hand)

1/4 cup heavy cream
2 sticks unsalted butter
2-½ cups confectioner's sugar

FOR THE CAKE:
Grease and flour bundt pan. With an electric mixer, mix the devil’s food cake mix with yogurt, water, oil, eggs and vanilla extract. Mix on low speed for 1 minute. Scrape sides with spatula and mix for another 2 minutes on low. Pour into pan. Bake at 350ºF until done (sorry, I didn't time this and now I have forgotten! The original recipe was in layers and baked for 20 mins; I started there, but I'm not sure exactly how long it took.) <-- i="i" style="font-size: small;">reason #357 why I will never be a professional food blogger.  

Let cool.

FOR THE CHOCOLATE FILLING:
Place a large mixing bowl aside filled with ice. In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, melt the semisweet chocolate chips, half-and-half, cream and butter. Stir constantly until mixture begins to thicken. Whisk in the confectioner’s sugar. Place mixture in the bowl with ice and mix with an electric mixer for 4-5 minutes until the filling becomes thick. (you want it thick enough to maintain it's shape on the cake and not ooze out between layers, but not so thick that you can't spread it).

To assemble cake, cut cooled bundt cake in half (I used a long bread knife for this).  Carefully remove top layer, spread chocolate filling on bottom layer (to desired thickness - mine was thick!) and place top layer back on cake.  At this point you can either sprinkle on a little confectioner's sugar to make it look pretty, or add a chocolate ganache.  My 'glaze' never set like I wanted it too, so it was very runny :-(  Didn't matter though...this cake was the bomb!

another not-so-great picture

I'm linking up over at  What's Cooking, Love?, Five Little Chefs, Bloom Designs Online,   Miz Helen's Country Cottage, A Little Nosh, The Mandatory Mooch, Seven Alive, Michelle's Tasty Creations,