Chocolate Buttermilk Babysitter Cake

Today was our wonderful babysitter's birthday.  I thought it was the perfect excuse to make buttermilk chocolate cake with the kids.  If you are a chocolate lover, this recipe is a necessity to have in your recipe box.  I found it online and I have tweaked the recipe and experimented over time.  I love it because it is quick to make and uses one mixing bowl.  Hopefully it will keep our babysitter around a little longer.

You will need:

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup good unsweetened cocoa powder (I like Dutch process)
• 1 1/3 cups canola oil
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups strong coffee or espresso- hot ( I use decaf so the kids can eat it too)
• 1 tsp good vanilla extract
• 24 oz semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Spray 2 9-inch cake pans and line with parchment.
2. Place flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl.  Using mixer stir on low to combine.  Keeping the mixer on low add oil, buttermilk, then eggs one at a time.  Add hot coffee slowly in a stream.  Add vanilla and mix until batter is smooth.  Divide into 2 pans and bake 30-35 minutes.  Let cool.
3. Melt chocolate chips and cream in a double boiler.  Allow mixture to melt then stir with a whisk.  Allow to cool to room temp.
4. Remove cakes from pans and trim to make each level.  put one layer chocolate ganache mixture between layers and then spread over top and sides to cover.