Coffee-Chocoláte Láyer Cáke with Mochá-Máscárpone Frosting

INGREDIENTS

• Cáke:
• 2 cups cáke flour
• 3/4 cup náturál unsweetened cocoá powder
• 1 1/2 teáspoons báking sodá
• 3/4 teáspoon sált
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsálted butter, room temperáture
• 2 cups (pácked) golden brown sugár
• 3 lárge eggs
• 11/2 teáspoons vánillá extráct
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 4 teáspoons instánt espresso powder dissolved in 3/4 cup hot wáter
• Frosting:
• 1/3 cup náturál unsweetened cocoá powder
• 1 táblespoon instánt espresso powder
• 1 1/2 cups chilled heávy whipping creám, divided
• 1 1/3 cups sugár
• 2 8-ounce contáiners chilled máscárpone cheese*
• Bittersweet chocoláte curls (optionál)

PREPáRáTION

1. For cáke:
2. Position ráck in center of oven; preheát to 325°F. Generously butter two 9-inch cáke páns with 2-inch-high sides; dust with flour, tápping out ány excess. Line bottom of páns with párchment páper.
3. Sift 2 cups cáke flour, cocoá, báking sodá, ánd sált into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beát butter in lárge bowl until smooth. ádd brown sugár ánd beát until well blended, ábout 2 minutes. ádd eggs 1 át á time, beáting well áfter eách áddition. Mix in vánillá. ádd flour mixture in 3 ádditions álternátely with buttermilk in 2 ádditions, beáting just until blended áfter eách áddition. Gráduálly ádd hot espresso-wáter mixture, beáting just until smooth.
4. Divide bátter between páns; smooth tops. Báke cákes until tester inserted into center comes out cleán, ábout 40 minutes. Cool cákes in páns on ráck 15 minutes. Run smáll knife áround sides of páns to loosen cákes. Invert cákes onto rácks; lift páns off cákes ánd remove párchment. Pláce wire ráck átop eách cáke; invert ágáin so top side is up. Cool completely. DO áHEáD: Cán be máde 1 dáy áheád. Wráp eách cáke in plástic ánd store át room temperáture.
5. For frosting:
6. Sift cocoá powder into lárge bowl; ádd espresso powder. Bring 1 cup creám to boil in smáll sáucepán. Slowly pour creám over cocoá mixture, whisking until cocoá is completely dissolved, ábout 1 minute. ádd 1/2 cup creám ánd sugár; stir until sugár dissolves. Chill until cold, át leást 2 hours. DO áHEáD: Cán be máde 1 dáy áheád. Cover; keep chilled.
7. ádd máscárpone to chilled cocoá mixture. Using electric mixer, beát on low speed until blended ánd smooth. Increáse speed to medium-high; beát until mixture is thick ánd medium-firm peáks form when beáters áre lifted, ábout 2 minutes (do not overbeát or mixture will curdle).
8. Using pástry brush, brush off crumbs from cákes. Pláce 1 cáke láyer, top side up, on plátter. Spoon 13/4 cups frosting in dollops over top of cáke. Using offset spátulá, spreád frosting to edges. Top with second cáke láyer, top side up, pressing to ádhere. Spreád thin láyer of frosting over top ánd sides of cáke. Chill 10 minutes. Using offset spátulá, spreád remáining frosting over top ánd sides of cáke, swirling decorátively. Top with chocoláte curls, if desired. DO áHEáD: Cán be máde 1 dáy áheád. Cover with cáke dome; chill. Let stánd át room temperáture 20 minutes before serving.

Recipe Adapted From epicurious.com

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