To adjust for high altitude I added ¾ cup buttermilk instead of ⅓ cup buttermilk and baked at 300˚.
Ingredients
3 oz dark chocolate
¾ cup boiling water
2 cups sifted cake flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup lard (you can use butter or coconut oil, coconut oil does give it a coconut flavor though)
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon rum extract
1½ cups granulated sugar
2 eggs, beaten
⅓ cup buttermilk (you can use 1 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice mixed with ⅓ cup regular milk)
Preparation Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350˚ and prepare a 6" cake pan (or an 8" and then double the recipe). To prepare the pan, cut out a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan, place it in the pan and brush the parchment and pan with butter and coat with cocoa powder, tapping out the excess.
In the top of a double boiler, combine the chocolate and boiling water. Stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture has thickened. Set aside to cool.
In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the lard, and extracts then slowly add the sugar. Beat on medium high until fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
Add the eggs, one at a time and then slowly stir in the melted, cooled chocolate mixture.
Alternately add the buttermilk and dry ingredients, beating until smooth between each addition. Start and end with the dry ingredients.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool 15 minutes in the pan and then run a knife around the edge to loosen and turn out onto a cooling rack.
Cool completely before frosting
Recipe by Foods of Our Lives at https://www.foodsofourlives.com/2013/06/chocolate-fudge-cake/