Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 3/4 cups white sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons molasses (or change sugars to 1c white, 3/4c dark brown)
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup mayonnaise (name brand is best in a cake)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup very hot very strong coffee
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips or 1/2 cup chopped candy bar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons espresso or 3 tablespoons very strong coffee
• 1/4-1/2 cup cocoa powder (depending on how dark chocolatey you want it)
• 1/2 cup butter (preferably unsalted)
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/8 teaspoon salt (or omit and use salted butter)
• 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup cooled espresso or 1/3 cup strong coffee

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Grease one 9x13 or two 9" round cake pans.

3. Cake: combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cocoa.

4. Add the molasses, mayonnaise, and vegetable oil. Mix well.

5. While mixing, pour in the hot coffee.

6. Add the vanilla and chocolate chips, stir until combined. Batter will be thinner than normal cake batters.

7. Pour the batter into the pan(s). Bake for the 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. 9x13 pans usually need to go for a few more minutes.

8. If you are layering the round cakes, cool them for ten minutes on a wire rack, run a knife gently around the edges, flip pans over, rest for 10 minutes, then remove cakes from pans. Don't worry if they break apart a little bit. You can "glue" them back together with glaze and frosting!

9. Allow cakes to cool completely, even overnight, before glazing/frosting.

10. Espresso/Coffee Glaze:.

11. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar and coffee/espresso. Stir until sugar is dissolved.

12. Allow to cool to body temperature or lower.

13. Cappuccino Frosting.

14. Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl.

15. Combine butter and shortening in a seperate, large bowl or mixer. Beat until fluffy.

16. Add vanilla to the butter/shortening mixture.

17. To the butter mixture, add half of the dry ingredients, beat, then half of the espresso/coffee, beat some more, then the other half of the dry ingredients, beat again.

18. Add the remaining coffee slowly, only until desired consistency is reached. For a frosted layer cake, you want it to be a bit thick, but still smooth and fluffy.

19. Assembly:.

20. Set up desired cake board with one of the round cakes. Brush the ckae entirely with the semi-cool coffee glaze.

21. Allow the glaze about 5 minutes to set.

22. Spread a generous layer of frosting on top and place the second cake.

23. Glaze the second cake.

24. If you have any leftover glaze, just keep brushing it on (resist the urge to sip it, if you can!).

25. Frost the sides and top of the cake with remaining frosting.

26. Store cake in the refrigerator until you need it, as that will set the frosting properly. Because of the shortening, it will sit out well in normal temperatures, once it's been chilled.

27. Enjoy!