Brooklyn Blackout Cake
 
Makes 1 (8-inch) cake
Ingredients
  • ½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, softened
  • ¾ cup (64 grams) Dutch process cocoa powder
  • 1¾ cups (385 grams) firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 cup (240 grams) hot brewed coffee
  • ¾ cup (180 grams) whole buttermilk
  • 2 large eggs (100 grams), lightly beaten
  • 2 teaspoons (8 grams) vanilla extract
  • 1½ cups (188 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) kosher salt
  • Chocolate Pudding (recipe follows)
  • Whipped Chocolate Frosting (recipe follows)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 325°F (170°C). Spray 3 (8-inch) cake pans with baking spray with flour.
  2. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in cocoa, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, and whisk in brown sugar, coffee, and buttermilk until sugar is dissolved. Whisk in eggs and vanilla.
  3. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add flour mixture to cocoa mixture, whisking just until combined. Divide batter among pans.
  4. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely in pans. Remove from pans, and cut top ¼ inch of each cake; reserve cake tops for garnish.
  5. Place 1 cake layer on a serving platter. Whisk Chocolate Pudding until smooth; spread half of pudding onto cake layer. Top with second cake layer, and spread remaining pudding on top. Place remaining cake layer on top of pudding. Spread Whipped Chocolate Frosting on top and sides of cake. Crumble reserved cake tops, and press into sides of cake. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
For easier spreading of frosting, heat your offset spatula by dipping it in warm water and drying it before use.

If reserved cake pieces are too moist to crumble for garnish, toast them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet at 350F (180C) for 8 to 10 minutes to dry them.
Recipe by Bake from Scratch at https://bakefromscratch.com/brooklyn-blackout-cake/