Mocha Cake

3 cups all-purpose flour 2⅔ cups granulated sugar 3 Tbsps. cocoa powder ¼ tsp. salt 1 Tbsp. baking soda 1½ tsps. baking powder ½ cup sour cream ½ cup buttermilk 3 eggs large 1¼ cups coffee hot, strong ½ cup water ¾ cup veggie oil Frosting 1 cup unsalted butter, softened 3½ cups confectioners’ sugar 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder 1 Tbsp. espresso powder, more or less to taste 2 tsps. pure vanilla extract 3-5 Tbsps. heavy cream, as needed Ganache ½ cup dark chocolate, chopped ¼ cup heavy cream Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour three 9-inch round cake pans. Add wet ingredients to bowl of stand mixer and whisk well to combine. Sift dry ingredients together into bowl on top of wet ingredients. Whisk to combine, then mix on level 2 for two minutes. Distribute batter evenly to prepared pans and bake 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 5 minutes, then invert onto wire racks to cool fully. Sift confectioners’ sugar, cocoa and espresso powder into medium bowl. Whip butter about 5 minutes using paddle attachment of stand mixer. Beat in sugar mixture slowly. Add vanilla and drizzle in cream while beating until desired consistency is reached. Warm cream for ganache until hot but not boiling and pour over chocolate. Set aside for few minutes and whisk together. If there’s bits of unmelted chocolate just microwave it for 10 seconds on half power and whisk again. Level cake layers as needed. Place first layer of cake on serving tray. Spread layer of buttercream of top of first cake layer. Place second cake on top of first and spread another layer of buttercream. Place third layer on top and frost entire cake as desired. If you need more frosting, prepare a second batch or a half batch if you just need a little. Drizzle ganache on top of cake, smooth and allow to set.