Green Joe's Coffee Company

Decadent Chocolate Coffee Cake

Ingredients For Cake Layers:

3 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate
1 1/2 cups hot brewed Green Joe's coffee
3 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla

Ingredients For Ganache Frosting:

1 pound fine-quality semisweet chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
 
To Make Cake Layers:

Preheat oven to 300°F and grease two 10x2-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with rounds of wax or parchment paper and grease paper.
 
Finely chop chocolate and combine with hot coffee in a bowl. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
 
Into a large bowl sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl, beat eggs with an electric mixer until thickened slightly and lemon colored (about 3 minutes with a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a hand-held mixer). Slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs, beating until combined well. Add sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until again combined well.
 
Divide batter between pans and bake on the middle oven rack until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, usually 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.
 
Cool layers completely in pans on racks. Run a thin knife around  pan edges and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove wax paper and cool layers completely.

To Make Frosting:
 
Finely chop chocolate. In a 1 1/2- to 2-quart saucepan bring cream, sugar, and corn syrup to a boil over moderately low heat, whisking until sugar is dissolved. Remove pan from heat and add chocolate, whisking until chocolate is melted. Cut butter into pieces and add to frosting, whisking until smooth.
 
Transfer frosting to a bowl and cool, stirring occasionally, until spreadable (may be necessary to chill frosting to get spreadable consistency).
 
Spread frosting between cake layers and over top and sides. Cake keeps, covered and chilled, for 3 days. Bring cake to room temperature before serving.