Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare pans with “Bake Even Strips”. These will help keep your cakes flat while baking, therefore, making icing your cake so much easier.

Cut 2 rounds of parchment paper that fit the bottom of a 9-inch round cake baking pan.

To make these rounds, tear off a piece big enough to cover the bottom. Then fold in half and half again. After those two folds, fold in half once again, making a triangle shape. Sometimes I will fold a fourth time, but you could stop here. (The more folds, the more likely you will cut a nicer circle, and a fourth fold would be all you need).

Next, you will measure where you want to cut. Place the pointy end of the triangle in the center of the pan (I will flip my cake pan upside down as it’s easier to trim), and then at the edge, trim off any excess paper hanging over. I tend to trim just a little extra, about a 1/8” to account for the width of the sides of the pan, so your circle fits nicely inside your pan.

Spray two 9 – inch round cake pans with non-stick cooking spray and place one parchment round in the bottom of each pan, and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, start with the dry ingredients and combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Mix on low speed until well combined.

With the electric mixer running on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk, hot coffee, canola oil, vanilla, and eggs. Adding one after the other.

Mix until well combined, and the mixture has air bubbles (about 1 minute).

Divide the batter into the 2 prepared cake pans and bake in the preheated oven for about 30 – 35 minutes. Remove from the oven when a cake tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Let cool for 10 minutes in the cake pans, then run a sharp thin knife around the edge of each pan.

Invert the cakes onto a wire cooling rack and allow them to cool for 30 minutes.

Cream the butter in the bowl of your stand mixer using a paddle attachment. Slowly add the icing sugar and cocoa, and mix until combined. Add the vanilla and the whipping cream until the desired consistency is reached. Set aside.

If you didn’t use the bake even strips, then trim your cakes flat.

Take a piece of wax paper large enough to completely cover your cake stand with a 2-3 inches overhang on each side.

Cut the wax paper in half and cut each half in half again.

Place the 4 pieces of wax paper on the cake stand so they overlap; they should cover the top surface of the stand, (this will help keep the cake stand clean, you remove the wax paper after your cake is iced.

Place the second cake upside down on top of the first cake, so the tops of the cakes are together.

Next, take about ¾ of a cup of the remaining frost and place it in a smaller bowl. Add 2-3 tbsps of whipping cream and mix to combine. This thinner icing is to ice the crumble layer on the outside of the cake. It is also easier to spin the stand, so you don’t apply pressure to the cake while applying the crumb coat.

Once you have iced the crumble layer around the outside of the cake, place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Remove from the refrigerator and finish icing the cake with the remainder of the frosting.

Place back in the refrigerator until the icing is set.

Carefully remove the wax paper from the bottom of the cake.

Serve with a scoop of ice cream if you like!