This is No Lie.

But this weekend, I made quite possibly the most delicious chocolate cake. EVER. Now, I can say this, because I was raised by a woman who taught me "if you can read, you can cook." So, I in no way am being obnoxious or a braggart, but simply affirming the divinity of Ina Garten.

A handful of our good friends graduated from college this past week, so we thought a full on feast was due to celebrate. I made Ina Garten spaghetti & meatballs (minus the veal + homemade tomato sauce [canned anything is kind of a no go here]).

Italian herb bread:

 

And then, the mother of all goodness . . . 

And yes, this little piece of culinary perfection was my first (a) layered cake of any nature and (b) attempt at buttercream icing. I added some sprinkles to make it more festive, but just looking at this picture makes me want to slam my face in it, and I'm not even really a cake person!

And sadly, I took NO pictures of the anything past the cooking part of my day - but I promise it was a wonderful and delicious evening with precious, precious friends!

So, moral of the story, go HERE, and bake this as fast as humanly possible. Trust me, you'll thank me later. Ina don't tell no lies.