Chocolate Layer Cake

By ezunich

Ingredients

• Frosting:
• Cake
• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 cup brewed coffee, room temperature
• 6 tbs vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 tbs freshly brewed coffee, room temperature
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 tbs vanilla extract
• Chocolate-covered espresso beans

Details

Servings 10

Preparation

Step 1

Cake
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 10-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch high sides with nonstick spray. Line bottom with parchment paper round; spray paper.

Sift next 5 ingredients into medium bowl. Whisk sugar, buttermilk, coffee, oil, egg, yolk, and vanilla in large bowl. Add dry ingredients. Using electric mixer, beat on medium speed until batter is smooth, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl, about 4 minutes. Transfer batter to pan.

Bake until cake edges pull away from pan and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer cake to rack: cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Run knife around edges to loosen cake. Invert onto rack; cool completely.

Frosting:
Mix cocoa powder, coffee and buttermilk in small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture begins to boil. Cool to room temperature. Melt bittersweet and milk chocolates in top of double boiler set over simmering water.

Beat butter, powdered sugar and vanilla in medium bol. Stir in cocoa powder mixture, then melted chocolate.

Cut cake in half horizontally. Place 1 cake layer, cut side up on platter. Spread 1 cup frosting over top of cake. Top with second cake layer, cut side down. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Arrange chocolate-covered expresso beans around top edge of cake. Refrigerate at least 3 hours.