Chocolate Layer Cake

Prepare all your parts before hand. This makes it easier when mixing. Crack all your eggs. Prep your chocolate, cocoa and coffee. Mix your buttermilk and vanilla. Measure your sugar out. Combine your flour, salt, and baking soda.

Measure a sheet of parchment paper by folding the sheet in half, followed by half again, and the. Fold along the diagonal twice to end up with a thin triangle. This is how we will cut a circle of parchment for the bottom of the cake.

Place the tip of the parchment at the center of the round pan and crease the paper where it meets the edge. Cut an arc along that edge to make a circle parchment.

Grease two 8"x3" round cake pans. Of you have 9x2 that's fine, your cake will just come out more flat.

Add a spoon full of flour to one of the greased pans

Tap/shake the pan to distribute the flour all over the greased pan. Repeat with the other pan.

Place your parchment circle over the greased/floured pan. Lightly grease the parchment with any residual grease you have.

Add the chocolate, cocoa powder, and coffee to a small heat proof bowl and place over a double boiler.

When the chocolate begins to melt, add the sugar, and continue to whisk.

Whisk the chocolate mixture until smooth. Set aside to cool.

Add the eggs, yolks, and 1.25 cups sugar to a mixer bowl and beat on high using the whisk until pale, fluffy, and glossy. (~10min)

Switch to the paddle. Add the chocolate mixture to the eggs and continue to mix on medium until incorporated

Add the butter one chuck at a time while the mixer is on low

Alternate additions of dry flour mixture and buttermilk mixture on low speed until all is incorporated. Mix thoroughly on medium speed.

Divide the batter evenly between the two pans. Using a scale makes this very easy.

Place the two rounds on a sheet pan for easy oven arrangement

Bake for 35 min or until a wooden pick comes out clean when poked in the middle of the cake. Cool the cakes in the pan for 10 min. Then invert them onto a wire rack, peel the parchment off, and cool COMPLETELY before frosting.

I used 2 cans of store bought fudge frosting

Add one can of frosting to a mixer and beat on high until light and fluffy

Frosting first starts with a crumb layer. This layer is to contain all the crumbs so your final cake is pretty. Begin frosting the cake by placing a dab of frosting on a plate using an offset spatula. This secures the cake. Place one layer of the cake upside down on the dab. Fold four pieces of wax paper and slip the edges under the cake to keep the plate clean while frosting. Add a large scoop of frosting to the first top layer and spread to the edge. Place the second layer on top of the frosted layer, again upside down. Begin scraping a thin layer of frosting on the sides of the cake, followed by the top of the cake. Don't worry if it doesn't look great. You just want a thin layer of frosting for your crumb layer. Once your cake is crumbed, place it in the fridge for several hours to firm the crumb layer.

When the crumb layer is cold, you're ready to add the decorative frosting. Begin by whipping the other can of fosting. Remove the cake from the fridge and apply a large scoop to the top of the cake. Evenly spread the frosting using your offset spatula. Continue frosting the sides by adding frosting, and spinning the cake while holding the spatula flat. Once the sides look smooth and even, flatten and even out the top the same way. Your cake is now ready for final touches.

Taking handfuls of chocolate sprinkles, lightly press them into the sides of the cake. You'll loose a lot of sprinkles this way as they fall on the wax paper. Such is life.

Decorate the top of the cake by using unflavored dental floss to outline your cake slices. Fill each slice with a piped dollop of frosting, and garnish with a chocolate covered almond.