Buttermilk Cake with Mocha Frosting

Buttermilk Cake Preheat the oven to 350 F and make sure all ingredients are at room temperature before beginning. Grease and flour two 9" cake pans (I like to cut circles of parchment paper to line the bottoms with to ensure I have a perfectly flat surface to frost once the cake is baked and cooled.). Sift together in a large bowl: 2 1/3 cups flour 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt In another large bowl, beat 12 Tb (1 1/2 sticks) softened butter with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add 1 1/3 cups sugar, and beat on high speed for about 4 minutes, or until the mixture has lightened in texture and color. Whisk 3 eggs and 1 tsp vanilla together in a small bowl, and gradually beat into the butter/sugar mixture. Making sure each addition is incorporated before continuing, alternately add the flour in three parts, and 1 cup of buttermilk in two parts (i.e. 1/3 of the flour, 1/2 of the buttermilk, 1/3 of the flour, the rest of the buttermilk, the rest of the flour), beating on low speed and scraping the sides of the bowl. Pour the batter into the two prepared pans and bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool completely on wire racks, and frost. Mocha Frosting (makes about 1 1/4 cups; enough to frost a 2 layer cake) Melt 6 Tb of butter in a small saucepan and whisk in 1/2 cup plus 1 Tb cocoa powder (you can use 3 oz unsweetened chocolate and reduce the butter by half. All I had was cocoa powder). Remove from the heat and add 1/4 cup coffee and 1 tsp vanilla. Gradually add 2 cups of powdered sugar while beating the mixture to keep it spreadable.