CHOCOLATE MOCHA CAKE

Steps:

• 1. In a mixer cream butter until smooth. Add the sugar and eggs, mix until fluffy (3 mins.)
• 2. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and mix. Add 1/2 of the flour mixture then 1/2 of the sour cream and mix. Repeat, ending with the flour mixture. Add vanilla and mix. Drizzle in the hot coffee and mix until smooth. The batter will be thin.
• 3. Pour into (3) 9" greased and floured pans evenly and bake @ 350 for about 35 mins. or until toothpick comes out clean (a few crumbs are okay). Let cool in pans for 10 mins. Turn out on wire racks and let cool completely. Frost with Chocolate frosting.
• 4. Chocolate Frosting: 1 stick unsalted butter, softened 16 ozs. cream cheese, softened 8 ozs. unsweetened chocolate, melted 1/2 c. cooled coffee 4 tsps. pure vanilla extract 6 c. powdered sugar
• 5. In a mixer cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Drizzle in the melted chocolate and mix. Add the coffee and vanilla and mix. Add the sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Mix until fluffy. Place frosting in the fridge to firm up (around 30 mins. or so). Frost generously between each layer. Crumb coat top and sides of cake with a thin layer of icing. Refrigerate cake to firm up before applying the final layer of frosting. Finish frosting the top and sides of cake with the remainder of the icing and smooth. Keep cake refrigerated but take out of the fridge about 20 to 30 mins. before slicing. Note: This makes a lot of frosting & I always have extra left over. I freeze the extra for cupcakes for another day!