Chocolate Cake with Cream Filling and Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Need a great idea for valentines day?  Make some chocolate cake, yum!  I made this for a birthday last weekend, but it would be a great way to show someone you love them. :)

Chocolate Cake with Cream Filling and Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients
 Butter, for greasing the pans
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups good cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup buttermilk, shaken
 1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
Cream filling, recipes follows
Chocolate Buttercream, recipe follows

Directions
1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch x 2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

2) Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined.
3) In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
4) With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. 

5) Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s) and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
6) Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

7) Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

 

Cream Filling
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar

1) Pour chilled cream and vanilla into a bowl and beat until cream is forming stiff peaks.
2) Slowly mix in powdered sugar until just mixed.
3) Spread immediately and refrigerator any remaining cream.

Chocolate Buttercream frosting
6 ounces semisweet chocolate   
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

1) Chop or break the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (or microwave if you want to go faster). Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.

2) In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the butter and melted chocolate on medium-high speed until mixed. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Spread immediately on the cooled cake.