Espresso Cake

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Cake Layers
1 cup salted butter
3 tablespoons espresso powder
1 cup water (boiling for the espresso powder)
2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk (if you do not have the buttermilk, make your own with 1/2 cup milk mixed with 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cream Filling
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup heavy cream
Espresso Frosting
3/4 cup salted butter (1.5 sticks)
2 tablespoons espresso powder
4 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla or almond extract
4 tablespoons half-and-half


Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Melt the two sticks of butter in a saucepan over medium heat (saving your butter wrappers for the next step). Grease and flour 2 round 9 inch pans (8 inch will work just as well but your cake will be taller). I like to use the wrappers of the butter to grease the pan and then shake a light layer of flour to coat, shaking excess flour off so there are no lumps of flour.
2. After the butter is melted, add the 3 tablespoons of espresso powder followed quickly by the cup of boiling water. After the mixture has bubbled up for a minute, take off the heat and add the flour, 2 cups granulated sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt and stir to combine with the hot coffee mixture.
3. In a separate bowl (or large measuring cup as I like to use), mix the buttermilk, eggs, baking soda and vanilla and add to coffee mixture.
4. Pour the batter into cake pans, dividing evenly and bake for 13-15 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven and let cool in the pans for at least 10 minutes and then remove the cakes and allow to cool completely.
5. Meanwhile, mix the cream cheese and powdered sugar, adding the heavy cream as you beat the mixture until light and fluffy.
6. For the Coffee Frosting you will melt the butter and again, add the espresso powder. Stir this over medium heat and add the half-and-half, whisking to combine. Take this off the heat and add the remaining powdered sugar and vanilla, whisking well until it is smooth. Let this cool for 5 minutes to get somewhat "gummy".
7. When the cake layers are cooled completely, spread the cream filling mixture on the bottom layer of the cake, placed on the cake stand or serving plate you'd like for your finished cake. Be sure to pick a plate large enough for the frosting to end up pooling at the bottom of your plate without oozing off the plate, as what happened to me the first time I made this, unaware.
8. Carefully place the second cake layer on top of the cream layer and then drizzle the coffee frosting on the top of the cake allowing it to seep down the sides of the cake. Swirl the frosting around the sides, covering any holes. Keep in mind that it won't look like a bakery-frosted cake but you won't care because the taste is beyond compare!

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