Decadent Dirt Cake: Signature Groom's Cake or Special Occasion Cake

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/3 cups good quality dark chocolate (recommended: Guittard)
• 2 tablespoons extremely strong coffee
• 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 2 cups very hot water
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla (recommended: Nielsen-Massey)
• 1/4 cup coffee-flavored liqueur (recommended: Kahlua)
• Whipped Chocolate Buttercream, recipe follows, optional
• Whipped Chocolate Buttercream
• 1 cup good quality dark chocolate (recommended: Guittard)
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) room temperature salted butter
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (recommended: Nielsen Massey)
• 1 tablespoon coffee-flavored liqueur (recommended: Kahlua)
• 1 pound sifted confectioners' sugar

1. Grease and lightly flour a large Bundt pan or alternatively use a vegetable release spray.
2. Place the rack at the center of the oven and preheat to 300 degrees F.
3. Melt, do not boil, butter, sugar, chocolate, and coffee in a medium-sized saucepan with the hot water, until the sugar is dissolved.
4. Cool completely and pour into a large mixing bowl.
5. Set the mixer on slow to medium speed.
6. Sift together the combined flours and cocoa.
7. In a separate bowl, combine the beaten eggs, vanilla, and coffee-flavored liqueur.
8. Add the flour mixture alternately with egg mixture to the basic chocolate mixture.
9. This is a thin mixture do not over beat.
10. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and place into the preset oven.
11. Bake for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours at 300 degrees F.
12. Check with a skewer to be sure the cake is cooked through.
13. Cool the cake for 20 minutes before removing it from the pan.
14. Barely melt the chocolate in a double boiler over gentle heat.
15. Remove from the heat source and pour into a large mixing bowl then cool for five minutes.
16. Add the butter, cream, vanilla, coffee-flavored liqueur, and mix on medium speed until the mixture thickens.
17. Finally add the confectioners' sugar in small batches until the mixture holds a medium peak.
18. If the kitchen temperature is warm, and the icing is not of spreading consistency place the bowl in the refrigerator for a few minutes, then recommence mixing.
19. Slather the icing over the cake with an offset palette knife.
20. Yield: icing for 1 cake

butter, sugar, chocolate, coffee, flour, flour, cocoa, very hot water, eggs, vanilla, coffee, chocolate buttercream, chocolate buttercream, chocolate, butter, heavy cream, vanilla, coffee, sugar

Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/decadent-dirt-cake-signature-grooms-cake-or-special-occasion-cake-recipe.html (may not work)