Ingredients
cake:
1 c. butter, room temp
3 c. light brown sugar, packed
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 T. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3 c. sifted cake flour
1 1/3 c. sour cream
1 1/2 c. hot coffee

frosting:
8 T. butter, room temp
16 oz. cream cheese, room temp
8 oz. semi-sweet or dark chocolate, MELTED**
1/2 c. cooled coffee
2-4 tsp. vanilla
4-5 c. powdered sugar

filling:
seedless berry jam (blackberry, black currant or raspberry are great)

**for a firmer frosting, a shot of espresso can be substituted for the coffee
Notes
CAKE
– preheat oven to 350 and prep 3 cake pans (9″ – butter, flour, line bottoms w/ parchment rounds)
– in a mixer fitted w/ whisk, cream butter and sugar until fluffy; add vanilla and eggs (one at a time, until incorporated)
– while eggs are incorporating, sift together cocoa powder, baking soda and salt; add to mixture
– add 1/2 flour, then 1/2 of the sour cream and mix
– add remaining flour and sour cream and mix
– drizzle in hot coffe, mixing until smooth (add coffee gradually and watch for splashes)
– BATTER WILL BE THIN – do not be alarmed
– pour into pans and bake approx 35 mins until tops are firm and a tester comes out clean (a crumb or two is fine)
– if the oven is uneven, rotate cakes halfway through baking, otherwise, leave them alone and try not to open the oven
– when done, allow cakes to cool; they can be left in the pans or turned out while still warm, but allow to cool fully prior to frosting

FROSTING
– in a mixer with a paddle, cream butter and cream cheese until smooth
– mix in melted chocolate and mix (make sure cream cheese and butter aren’t too cold, otherwise, chocolate will clump)
– add coffee and vanilla, mixing until smooth
– add sugar, one cup at a time, mixing after each cup; taste after 4 cups, if more is needed, add judiciously
– mix until blended and fluffy

ASSEMBLY
When cakes are completely cool, layer up:
-cake
-thin layer of jam
– frosting
[repeat until you run out of cake layers]

There is plenty of frosting to fully frost the cake, though it’s also nice to leave the sides unfrosted.

Leave in fridge at least 4 hours, preferrably overnight for a richer cake – bring up to room temp before serving

Source: adapted from Gale Gand, “Butter Sugar Flour Eggs”