Step 1

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour three 8 or 9 inch pans. This recipe uses the Reverse Creaming Method of Mixing.

Step 2

Add dry ingredients to the bowl of your mixer and mix for one minute to blend (sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt)

Step 3

Add butter a few slices at a time and mix until it reaches a crumbly, sandy texture. Be careful not to over-mix beyond "sandy" consistency.

Step 4

In another bowl, combine sour cream, eggs, milk, and vanilla. Using a fork, mix together. This is all of your wet ingredients except for the coffee, it will be added to the batter later.

Step 5

Set a timer for 1 ½ minutes and SLOWLY add half of your egg mixture to your butter/flour mixture while mixing. Start mixer on low speed then increase to medium for the remainder of the 1 ½ minutes. Do Not Mix Above Medium Speed.

Step 6

Stop mixer, scrape the sides and bottom of bowl, and add half of the remaining egg mixture. Mix on medium speed for 20 seconds.

Step 7

Stop mixer, scrape down the sides if necessary, and add the last of the egg mixture. Mix for 20 more seconds on medium speed.

Step 8

Slowly add HOT coffee and mixing for 30 seconds to blend. Batter will be runny but that is okay!

Step 9

In a medium size bowl mix the sugar, cornstarch and egg yolks until combined.

Step 10

In a saucepan over medium heat, bring milk to a simmer ( do not boil).

Step 11

Pour approximately 1 cup of the heated milk into mixture of sugar, cornstarch and yolks. Quickly whisk or stir  to prevent the egg yolks from cooking.

Step 12

When this is throughly combined, pour back into the saucepan and stir.   Have the saucepan on low to medium low heat.

Step 13

Add the chocolate pieces and stir constantly until the chocolate melts and the mixture begins to thicken.  This may take 5 to 10 minutes.  Stir constantly so it will not stick to the bottom of the pan.

Step 14

When the mixture thickens remove from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla.  Remember it will thicken further as it cools.

Step 15

Pour into a dish to cool.  Allow to cool a bit then cover with plastic wrap, pressing it onto the top of the pastry cream to avoid a skin forming.  Chill for 2 to 3 hours before using.  This can be refrigerated for 3 days. Makes 2 cups

Step 16

Cut the butter into slices and add to the bowl of your mixer. Beat on low to medium speed until the butter is softened and smooth.

Step 17

Add cocoa and mix until blended.

Step 18

Cut the cream cheese into pieces and add to the butter, beating at low to medium speed until incorporated.

Step 19

Add the vanilla. Gradually add the powdered sugar beating on low speed until blended.

Step 20

Increase mixing speed to medium and beat until fluffy, don't over beat. If beaten too long it will become very soft. If this happens, just refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes.

Step 21

This frosting will pipe best if used while still very cool. You can make it in advance, refrigerate and when ready to use let it soften slightly (do not microwave) and remix.

Step 22

Will frost a 3 layer 8 or 9 inch cake.

Step 23

Place the first chocolate cake layer on the cake plate or pedestal. We like to pipe a dam of frosting around the edge using a piping bag with the tip snipped away.

Step 24

Spread on the chocolate pastry cream filling within the dam and top with the second cake layer. (The purpose of the dam is to keep the filling from escaping). Repeat the steps. Top with the third cake layer and frost the cake!

Step 25

We like to frost a thin (crumb coat) of frosting over the cake before chilling for about 15 minutes in the freezer to firm everything up. Then, apply the second coat of frosting and decorate. We used a cake comb for our cake, and piped the border with a large 1M star tip.

Step 26

This cake needs to be refrigerated because of the filling and frosting. Remove from the refrigerator 2-3 hours before serving for best taste and texture.