Ingredients
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1/2 cup chocolate, bittersweet, grated
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1 tablespoon espresso, fine grind
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1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
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4 cups icing sugar
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4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
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2 tablespoons instant coffee, dissolved in
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1 tablespoon boiling water
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1/2 cup hazelnut-flavored liqueur, frangelica
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1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, sliced
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1/8 cup hazelnuts, ground
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2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
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1 (18 ounce) box dark chocolate cake mix
Instructions
- Cake - Preheat oven.
- Grease and flour two round 9" cake pans.
- Mix cake as directed on back of package.
- Gently add the grated bittersweet chocolate and the ground espresso to the prepared cake mixture, then pour into pans and bake.
- Cool cakes completely on wire racks.
- Slice each cake layer into two even layers.
- Buttercream Icing - Beat the butter until it is light and fluffy, then add the icing sugar slowly, until well blended.
- Divide the buttercream icing into four bowls equally.
- In #1 bowl add the melted chocolate to the icing, in #2 bowl add the coffee liquid to the icing and in #3 & #4 bowls add 1 tbsp vanilla to both bowls of icing.
- To assemble the cake, place first cake layer.
- on plate.
- Sprinkle cake with 2 tbsps of frangelica and spread chocolate buttercream onto cake.
- Top cake with second cake layer, sprinkle cake with 2 tbsps of frangelica and spread.
- vanilla buttercream onto cake.
- Top cake with third cake layer, sprinkle cake with 2 tbsps of frangelica and spread coffee buttercream onto cake.
- Top cake with fourth cake layer, sprinkle cake with remaining frangelica and spread vanilla butter cream onto top and sides of cake.
- Press the sliced hazelnuts into the sides of the cake and garnish the top with the ground hazelnuts.
- Chill cake in fridge for several hours.
- One hour before serving remove cake from fridge and allow to slowly come to room temperature.