Chocolate Buttermilk Cake

my mom made this chocolate cake for almost every birthday. after i went to college, she started making it with the mocha butter cream frosting and ganache and it got EVEN BETTER. she won first prize at the county fair with this recipe! :)

CAKE:
1 cup butter
2 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups buttermilk
3/4 cup cocoa (mom uses dark chocolate cocoa but i cant find it)
2 3/4 cups sifted flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

Cream butter, add sugar gradually and beat until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, then vanilla. Sift dry ingredients together, add to creamed mixture, alternately with butermilk. Pour batter into three 9-inch pans which have been greased and lightly floured, lined with wax paper and buttered. Bake at 350 for 25 to 35 min. Cool completely on racks.

MOCHA BUTTER CREAM FROSTING:
Mix 2 tbsp instant coffee with 1 tbsp very hot water or coffee and set aside to cool. Beat together 3 c. powder sugar, 8 oz + 3 oz. cream cheese (cold) and 3/4 cup cut up butter (cold). Beat until fluffy then mix in coffee mixture. Frost cake and chill for at least 1 hour.

Note: instead of instant coffee i have made it with regular coffee, ground super fine. i actually prefer that. i just happened to have instant coffee in my cupboard this week. don't ask

GANACHE:
Heat very carefully 6 oz. dark chocolate, 1 stick butter and 1 tbsp. corn syrup just until melted (I take it off the stove before chocolate is completely melted and stir to finish melting). Pour ganache over top of cake and let drizzle down sides. You will probably need to let it cool a while so it is a thick enough to still pour but so it won't run to the bottom of the cake plate.

Warning: the frostings will become a pool of meltedness if you a) don't let the cake cool enough before frosting it with the buttercream, b) don't let the cake cool again after frosting with the buttercream or c) don't let the ganache cool enough before pouring it on at the end. i have made this mistake before and it makes an ugly mess.

Keep cake refrigerated until serving. If possible I like to take the cake out of the fridge about an hour before I serve it. I think the flavor comes out more as the temp rises closer to room temp and the texture is more moist.