Cocoa Layer Cake

"Old-fashioned, moist, with a fabulous brown sugar-cocoa frosting. From Bon Appetit."
 
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Ready In:
2hrs 18mins
Ingredients:
17
Serves:
10
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ingredients

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directions

  • Position 1 rack in top 1/3 and 1 rack in bottom 1/3 of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Butter three 9" cake pans with 1 1/2" sides. Line with parchment paper rounds and butter parchment.
  • Whisk cocoa and 1/2 cup warm water in small bowl. Whisk butter and 1/2 cup water in second small bowl.
  • Sift flour, baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoons salt into medium bowl.
  • Using electric mixer, beat both sugars and butter in large bowl until pale yellow and fluffly (will appear granular), about 5 minutes. With mixer running, gradually add beaten eggs, then beat until smooth and fluffly, about 15 seconds. Add cocoa mixture; beat to blend. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk mixture in 2 additions, beating to blend after each addition. Divide batter amoung pans (about 1 3/4 cups each).
  • Bake cakes until tester comes out clean, reversing pans halfway through baking, about 18 minutes. Cool completely in pans on racks.
  • Frosting: Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in sugar, cocoa, expresso powder, and 1/2 tsp (scant) salt. Gradually stir in cream. Stir until mixturer is very hot and just begins to simmer at edges. Reduce heat to low; stir 1 minute to let flavors blend. Transfer to medium bowl; stir in vanilla (will resemble chocolate sauce). Chill until just thickened, stirring occasionally, about 1 1/2 hours. Let stand at room temperature.
  • Run knife around cake sides. Carefully iinvert 1 cake onto plate (cakes will be very tender); peel off parchment. Spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Invert second cake onto palm of hand. Position cake 2 inches above frosted cake layer. Carefully slide cake onto first cake layer. Peel off parchment. Spread cake with 1/2 cup frosting. Repeat with third cake layer. Spread remaining frosting on sides and top of cake.
  • Can be made one day ahead. Cover with cake dome' let stand at room temperature.

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