The ultimate chocolate birthday cake recipe please

[magsi]

O.k peeps, give me your best ever chocolate cake recipe, tried and tested. I have to make one for a friend and don't want to get it wrong. Made LOADS of cakes before, but never a chocolate one.

Thanks

when it comes to birthday cakes, I always use a couple of packet mixes with an extra egg or so. They rise evenly and the point of birthday cakes is to provide a canvas for novelty and/or salient works of sugar craft art, is it not?