Preheat the oven: Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). This ensures that the oven is at the right temperature when the cake goes in, helping it bake evenly.

Prepare your cake pans: Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans (or line them with parchment paper). This step ensures that your cake comes out of the pans easily after baking.

Mix the dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. This helps to evenly distribute the dry ingredients, ensuring the cake rises perfectly.

Combine the wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Make sure everything is well combined, and the sugar starts to dissolve.

Add the wet to the dry: Slowly pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Use a hand mixer or a whisk to stir until the batter is smooth. Don’t overmix—just combine the ingredients until there are no lumps.

Add the boiling water: Now, carefully pour in the boiling water. The batter will be thin, but that’s completely normal! The thin consistency helps the cake become extra moist.

Bake the cake: Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Place them in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool the cakes: Once the cakes are done, let them cool in the pans for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This step helps them set and makes them easier to handle when it’s time to frost.