• Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease 2 8-inch round cake pans, line with parchment, grease again and dust with flour.
• Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a stand mixer bowl and stir very well to combine. Add the soft butter and buttermilk and blend on low with the paddle attachment until ingredients are fully blended and soft.
• Whisk the eggs, vanilla and cooled coffee together in another bowl and add to the batter, with the paddle going on low, in 3 additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl and mixing until blended. Try not to beat a lot of air into the egg mixture as you add it – just stir well. Scrape bottom of bowl and make sure to mix in all batter.
• Divide the batter among the pans and bake on center rack for 35 to 40 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pans for about 5 minutes, then turn invert onto wire racks to cool completely. Remove parchment when cool.

Chocolate Frosting OR use Duncan Hines Creamy Chocolate

• Melt the chocolate and butter together in the top of a double boiler. Remove from heat and stir in the cream. The cream should be room temperature or just slightly warm.
• Sift the sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl).
• Add the cooled chocolate mixture to the mixing bowl and beat by hand just until everything comes together. Add the vanilla and the corn syrup and beat with the electric mixer until light and creamy.