Mocha Chocolate Cake - For my Lovely Mother's Birthday

Hello everyone, i hadn't baked anything in a couple of days as i was waiting to bake for my mom's birthday. Originally i had planned to bake an opera cake but it turned out that the opera cake would be too ginormous for the family so i ended up making a mocha chocolate cake. The recipe for the cake is from Dorie Greenspan book, but i got the recipe from a blog as i don't have the book yet - unfortunate i know! The original recipe has different icing but i opted to make a chocolate mocha fudge icing (adapted from different sources), Which turned out nothing short of heavenly! The cakes texture was so soft and airy as it had oil and buttermilk, so the cake ain't that heavy on your sides either! I made the cake yesterday morning at the crack of dawn (literally - since i wake up early to do pilates anyway!) and hid it in me aunts room so that my mom doesn't spot it but I'm guessing she figured it out since the house was smelling gloriously of chocolate and coffee. But she pretended not to know anything about it! So this morning I've been up early (for pilates) and to put the icing on my lovely. I also made pancakes and banana smoothie for my moms breakfast "buffet". I didn't have much time for the pancakes so i just went with Bisquick - but i come across a recipe for whole grain pancakes which i intend to try out later and if it turns out to be a success I'll definitely post it!

The naked cake (ie before frosting):

Anyway enough blabbing .. the recipe:

Mocha Chocolate Cake

 Ingredients:

1)1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2)2 cups sugar

3)3/4 cup good cocoa powder

4)2 tsp baking soda

5)1 tsp baking powder

6)1 tsp kosher salt

7)1 cup buttermilk, shaken

8)1/2 cup vegetable oil

9)2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

10)1 tsp pure vanilla extract

11)1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee


Directions:

1)Preheat the oven to 350 deg. F. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans, line them with parchment paper, then butter and flour them.

2)Sift flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With the mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

3)Set the pans on a cooling rack and cool in the pans for 30 minutes. Loosen the edges by running a knife around the inside, if needed, turn the cake onto a plate, peel the parchment paper off the bottom, then turn the cake onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.

4)When the layers are completely cooled, place one layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

Mocha Chocolate Icing: ( i cut the recipe in half)
12 oz Semi Sweet chocolate chips.
8 oz sour cream
1/2 cup butter
4 1/2 cups sifted icing sugar
2 teaspoon coffee

Melt the chocolate and butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes stir in sour cream and sifted powdered sugar. Enjoy!