double chocolate layer cake

For my dad's birthday cake, I made Gourmet's Double Chocolate Layer Cake. The cake was super fudgy but not too heavy. I made a chocolate buttercream to frost it.

Note: The recipe calls for two 10-inch round cake pans, but, since I don't own any, I used three 9-inch round cake pans.

Double Chocolate Layer Cake
From Gourmet, March 1999

3 oz. fine-quality semisweet chocolate
1 1/2 c. hot brewed coffee
3 c. sugar
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/4 tsp. salt
3 eggs
3/4 c. vegetable oil
1 1/2 c. well-shaken buttermilk
3/4 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease two 10-inch or three 9-inch pans and line bottoms with rounds of wax paper and grease paper.

Finely chop chocolate and in a bowl, combine with hot coffee. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.

Into a large bowl, sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl with an electric mixer, beat eggs until thickened slightly and lemon colored (about 3 minutes with a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a hand-held mixer). Slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs, beating until combined well. Add sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined well. Divide batter between pans and bake in middle of oven until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. (It will take between 40 and 50 minutes in 9-inch pans.)

Cool layers completely in pans on racks. Run a thin knife around edges of pans and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove wax paper and cool layers completely. Cake layers may be made 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature.