Ta da!

I have a reputation when it comes to layer cakes. And it's not a good one. So when I stepped into the kitchen to tackle mom's birthday cake yesterday, I was a little apprehensive.

I had my taste buds set on the Pioneer Woman's "Coffee Cake. Literally." As the title indicates, this is literally a coffee-flavored cake (not one of those coffee cakes you pass off as appropriate for breakfast).

Well, the layers didn't exactly slide out of the pans, and the stovetop did blaze up in flames once, but overall, the cake was a success!

Look at those perfectly aligned layers. Seriously, I was amazed - truly one of my proudest moments as a human being.

Oh yeah, it was also completely delicious. Definitely for coffee lovers (though my aunt who never touches a cup of coffee wasn't opposed to seconds).

I only made a few very minor changes...

Coffee Lovers Cake

Ingredients

• FOR THE CAKE:
• 2 cups Flour
• 1 1/2 cups Sugar
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• 2 sticks Butter
• 3 Tablespoons Instant Coffee Crystals
• ½ cups Buttermilk
• 2 whole Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla
• _____
• FOR THE ICING:
• 1-½ stick Butter
• 1 pound Powdered Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Instant Coffee Crystals
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• Milk

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two round baking pans.

In a large bowl, mix sugar, flour, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside.

Melt 2 sticks of butter in a pot over medium-low heat. While that’s melting, add 3 tablespoons instant coffee to 1 cup boiling water. Set aside.

Once butter has melted, add coffee mixture to the butter in the pot. Let it come to a boil for about ten seconds, then turn off the heat. Set aside for just a minute.

In a separate bowl, add buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Mix until well combined.

Pour the butter/coffee mixture into the flour mixture. Stir the mixture together gently. The purpose here isn’t to mix it together perfectly, but to cool down the heat before adding the egg mixture.

Add in the egg mixture and stir gently until well combined. Then pour into pans. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until set.

Allow to cool completely.

Combine all icing ingredients, adding milk a tablespoon at a time until you reach desired consistency. Then ice the cake. Chill for an hour before serving.