• In the bowl of a stand mixer (or just a large bowl if you're using a hand mixer), combine flour, sugar, cocoa, black cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix on low until fully blended.
• In a separate bowl, combine eggs, sour cream, vegetable oil, and vanilla.
• With mixer on, pour liquid into dry ingredients and mix gently until smooth.
• Slowly pour in hot/warm coffee while mixer continues.
• Pour an even amount of batter into three prepared cake pans (wax/parchment and shortening or other method as preferred). Bake at 300°F for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Cool for about 5 minutes after removing from the oven. Run a plastic knife quickly around the edges of each cake pan to help release the cake.
• Turn first cake layer onto a parchment covered plate. Cut off any dome to create a level cake layer. Do this with the second cake layer and stack parchment/cake on top of first layer. Do the same with the third layer and cover cake with cake carrier lid until cool. Then refrigerate until ready to frost.
• Frost and fill cake with Vanilla Ermine Frosting.
• Drip Dark Chocolate Ganache Drip down sides of cake and pour over top. (The easiest way to apply drip to a cake is with a squeeze bottle, but a spoon or baggie with a small corner cut off can also work. I recommend testing the consistency of the drip on the sides of the bowl before putting it on the cake. Allow to cool further if too thin. Add extra cream if too thick.)

Vanilla Ermine Frosting

• Whisk flour, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan until smooth and without lumps. (Lumps that show up now will show in the finished product.)
• Place the saucepan over medium heat and slowly stir in milk and extract as the mixture heats.
• Continue to stir almost continuously until the milk custard reaches a thick pudding consistency.
• Remove the mixture from heat and either press plastic wrap onto the surface of the milk custard or continue to stir every few minutes while cooling to prevent a film from forming.
• This mixture must be slightly cooler than room temperature to move to the next step. Allow to cool on the counter and then refrigerate until ready to use (up to three days). If leaving in the refrigerator for a lengthy amount of time, allow to warm up on the countertop until cool (not cold) for about an hour before moving to the next step.
• Place slightly softened butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and whip until very light in color and fluffy.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to whip, adding the milk custard mixture to the butter by tablespoons until fully combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl a couple of times during this process and finish with a final quick whip.

Dark Chocolate Ganache Drip

• Heat cream in the microwave or on stovetop until hot, but not boiling.
• Pour cream over chopped chocolate in a bowl and allow to rest for about a minute.
• Whisk gently or stir until the mixture becomes smooth and glossy.
• The drip is ready to use once cooled to slightly warm or room temperature.