• Preheat oven to 300°F. Grease and flour two 10-inch cake pans or three 9-inch cake pans.
• Combine chocolate with hot coffee and stir until smooth. Let cool slightly while you prepare other ingredients.
• In a large mixing bowl, mix together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
• In another mixing bowl, using a hand-held electric mixer, beat eggs for 3 to 5 minutes or until light and lemon-colored. Using a whisk or lowest speed of mixer, add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture.
• Add flour mixture to egg mixture and beat on medium speed until blended. Use a heavy duty scraper as you mix and be sure to scrape bottom of the bowl.
• Divide batter between pans and bake in middle of oven at 300 until a tester inserted in center comes out clean. Bake time for 9 inch pans is about 50 minutes. Bake time for 10 inch pans is 60 to 75 minutes.
• Set the pans on a wire rack and let layers cool completely in the pan.
• Loosen edges with a knife and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove parchment paper and let cool completely.
• At this point you can frost the chocolate layer cake or you can wrap layers tightly in plastic wrap and freeze until ready to use.

Chocolate Ganache Frosting

• In a 1 ½- to 2-quart saucepan bring cream, sugar, and corn syrup to a boil over over medium heat, whisking gently to dissolve sugar.
• Add chocolate, then remove from heat and whisk until chocolate is melted. Whisk butter pieces into chocolate mixture one at a time, allowing butter to melt into chocolate.
• Transfer frosting to a stand mixer bowl and let cool, stirring occasionally, until spreadable
• Frost the cake.