Chocolate Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350F (no fan) and prepare 3 8" pans with parchment paper and butter
2. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, granulated sugar, light brown sugar and salt. Whisk together until no lumps remain
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk and sour cream until smooth
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in 2 additions, and gently whisk and fold until they are just combined and no big lumps remain. Do not over-mix
5. In a separate small bowl, add the cocoa powder and instant coffee. Pour over the boiling water and whisk until a smooth shiny mixture forms
6. Pour the cocoa mixture onto the remaining batter, and gently fold until a chocolate cake batter forms
7. Divide the batter evenly between the 3 prepared cake pans
8. Bake for ~22-24 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with light moist crumbs attached
9. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 20 minutes, then carefully remove them and place on a wire rack. Let them cool completely (I recommend at least 1 hour)

Dark Chocolate Fudge Frosting:

1. While the cakes cool, make the frosting. Add the dark chocolate and heavy cream to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 20 second increments, stirring in between, until the chocolate melts and a smooth, shiny ganache forms. Make sure there are no chocolate lumps in it. The ganache should be warm, not hot. Let it cool down for 5-10 minutes
2. To a separate bowl, add the room temperature cream cheese and sift in the cocoa powder, powdered sugar and salt. Whisk on medium speed until the mixture becomes smooth and creamy (1-2 minutes). Scrape the bowl once or twice as you do this
3. Pour in the warm ganache, and whisk on low speed for about 60-90 seconds until a smooth mixture forms. Scrape the bowl in the middle to ensure everything is well combined. Do not over-mix
4. At this point, the frosting will be very soft and runny. Just cover the bowl and let it rest at room temperature for 20-30 minutes, and it should reach a firmer, spreadable consistency. I don't recommend chilling this frosting in the fridge as it can easily become too firm. If that happens, remove about 1 cup and microwave it for 20 seconds or until runny, then slowly fold through the rest to make it softer

Assembly:

1. Once the cakes and frosting have cooled down, it's time to assemble
2. Use a large serrated knife to carefully trim off the domes from the cakes
3. Layer them on top of each other with a generous layer of the frosting in between (don't be stingy!). Cover the cake with a thin layer of frosting (crumb coat) and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Then slather on the remaining frosting all over
4. Serve & enjoy! This cake is best eaten at room temperature

Video Tutorial:

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