Chocolate Buttermilk Cake with Sour Cream Chocolate Frosting

Chocolate Buttermilk Cake


3 C flour
2 1/2 C sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/3 C vegetable oil
1 1/2 C buttermilk
3 eggs
1 1/2 C freshly brewed hot coffee
1 T pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 9 inch round cake pans with 2" hi sides. Line bottoms with parchment paper, grease paper and sides of pan.
Place the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and mix on low speed to combine. (don't mix on hi or you'll be wearing it) Add the oil and buttermilk and mix on medium until well blended. With mixer on low add eggs, one at a time, scraping down bowl and mixing well after each addition. Add the hot coffee and vanilla and mix on low speed until smooth.

Divide the batter between pans and bake until cake springs back when touched lightly in the center, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 15 min, remove from pans and let cool completely.

Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting

10 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
pinch of salt
1 tsp pure vanilla
1 C sour cream
2 T creme de cacao

Place the chocolate in a metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Once the chocolate has melted about halfway, remove the pan from the heat and let the chocolate finish melting. Meanwhile place the cold diced butter (4 cubes) in the bowl of the mixer with the paddle attachment and beat until very light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl often, about 5 min. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the melted chocolate, and then stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl. Add the powdered sugar, very carefully turn the mixer back on at low speed and mix, again scraping down the sides of the bowl often, until smooth. Add the salt, vanilla, sour cream, and creme de cacao, and mix until the frosting is very smooth.

Assembly

Carefully cut the layers in half. Place one cut side up on plate. Cover with about 1/2 C frosting. Continue with all layers ending with top layer right side up. Frost thin layer on sides and top. Refrigerate 15 minutes. Frost again on sides first and then top. Garnish with grated white and bittersweet chocolate curls.

Note: Creme de Cacao is a chocolate flavored liquor. If you delete it be sure and add 2 tablespoons of another liquid, like coffee liquor in its place.

Baking: I tested mine at 30 minutes and they were done, depending on your oven, yours might take a couple more minutes. You can use a toothpick if you want.