An easy one bowl cake with a truly creamy and fudgy frosting, a perfectly sized 3 layer cake to get you through that Monday (or any day!)

This recipe gives you options for what’s in your pantry or fridge right now!

Make the frosting first and it will be ready to spread by the time the cake is cooled.

A gorgeous 3 layer cake in a little over an hour? Yep!

For the cake

2 cups AP flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 large eggs

1 cup neutral oil

1 cup buttermilk

(Or sub 1 scant cup dairy or plant milk and add 2 TB white vinegar or lemon juice)

1 cup hot coffee (or substitute hot water), not boiling

Preheat the oven to 350

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs, oil and buttermilk and whisk well to combine. Add the hot coffee and whisk until the batter is smooth. The batter will be thin.

Line three 6” cake pans with parchment paper and spray with non stick cooking spray. Divide batter equally between the pans.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until layers are baked through and a toothpick inserted comes out with moist crumbs.

Let cool and frost with Fudge Frosting

Fudge Frosting

12 TB unsalted butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup half and half

4 oz good quality unsweetened chocolate, chopped

6 oz good quality 60-70% bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 tsp  vanilla extract

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine butter, granulated sugar, half and half and salt in large saucepan.

Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture simmers. Remove from heat. Add both chocolates; whisk until smooth. Whisk in vanilla.

Pour chocolate mixture into large bowl. Sift in powdered sugar whisking to blend until smooth (this may take some vigorous whisking, to get completely smooth).

Chill just until firm enough to spread, stirring occasionally, about an hour. Refrigerate any leftover and bring to room temperature before using (I leave out overnight)