Ingredients
Method
Step-by-Step
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and parchment-line three 8- or 9-inch round cake pans.
- Whisk flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
- Add eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Beat for 1–2 minutes, until smooth.
- Slowly mix in the hot coffee just until incorporated. Divide the thin batter among the pans.
- Bake for 28–35 minutes, until the centers spring back and a tester shows a few moist crumbs.
- Cool cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them onto racks and cool completely.
- Beat softened butter until creamy. Add cocoa, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt in batches, alternating with milk or cream, and beat until spreadable.
- Level cakes if needed and slice each horizontally in half for six layers. Stack with buttercream between layers, frost the top and sides, and chill before slicing.
Notes
For the neatest slices, chill the assembled cake for at least 30–60 minutes. The batter is unusually thin, so use parchment and divide it carefully. Do not overbake; moist crumbs are the correct doneness signal.
