Cooking Instructions

Preheat your oven to 325° F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with wax paper.

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour, baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

In a small saucepan, bring the brewed coffee to a simmer. Remove from heat and add 1 cup of dark chocolate morsels. Whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

In another large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, sour cream, eggs, and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Add the chocolate-coffee mixture and whisk to blend well.

Add one-third of the chocolate-sour cream mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk to combine. Add the remaining chocolate-sour cream mixture in two more additions, whisking well after each addition.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 33 to 35 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the centers comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes.

For the frosting, bring the cream, butter, 3 tablespoons sugar, water, and 1/8 teaspoon salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and add 1 2/3 cups of chocolate morsels. Let stand for 2 minutes, then whisk until melted and smooth. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Pour the frosting into a medium bowl and refrigerate for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until thick enough to spread. Use the frosting to layer and cover the cake.