Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a pot of strong coffee, enough to make 2 cups plus one for yourself!

Grease and line pans with parchment paper. This recipe will make: (Great recipe for larger cake, more cakes or cupcakes. 3 X 10" layers just to give you an idea of the batter quantity. or... 48-52 regular size cupcakes * As soon as you go beyond 48 the rest well- no one will never know where they disappeared to! shh:)

Prepare dry mixer Bowl and whisk attachment or large dry bowl and hand held mixer. Combine Flour, sugar, b.soda, b.powder, salt, and cocoa powder until combined.

In separate bowl whisk together buttermilk, Canola oil, eggs and vanilla. On low speed add to dry mixture- again with whisk attachment or using hand held mixture. Then add hot coffee slowly just until combined. Increase speed to medium and mix for 20-30 seconds until smooth.

Once the batter is fully mixed, stop the mixer. You do not want to over beat the cake batter. The chocolate batter consistency will be similar to a crepe batter. Trust the batter- do not add more flour!

Pour chocolate cake batter evenly into prepared pans

Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 mins or until cake tester stick comes out clean.

Cool your cakes for 10 mins, run along side of pan with spatula to ensure safe clean removal of cakes, then invert pan and allow cakes to completely cool. I personally like to bake my cakes ahead and then wrap well and freeze overnight or until it is time to frost. Frosting as you wish:) This cake is great with ganache, whipped ganache, fudge icing, American style buttercream, cream cheese or Swiss meringue buttercream. This cake is perfect to hold shape when using fondant or almond paste as coverage. I used American style buttercream on my cake and piped ganache rosettes in the photo.