Coffee-Chocolate-Bacon Cake

Perfect for Father's Day or anytime! Coffee, chocolate and bacon all in one place... does life get any better??

Butter for greasing cake pans

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for pans

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup good cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup buttermilk, shaken

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Chocolate frosting (see below)

1 pound bacon, fried until crispy, but not burned, then crumbled

Preheat oven to 350º. Butter 2 8-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With the mixer still on low, add the coffee and about 1/3 to 1/2 of the bacon and stir until just combined, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake 35 – 40 minutes, until cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 min, then turn out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Place one layer, flat side up, on a plate or cake pedestal. Spread the top with frosting. sprinkle 1/4 of the back over the icing. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the remaining frosting evenly over top and sides of cake. Top with remaining bacon. (NOTE: You can alter how much bacon you put where to your own taste.)

Chocolate-Coffee Frosting

6 ounces good semisweet chocolate, chopped

2 sticks butter, at room temperature

1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

2 packets Starbucks VIA Italian Roast

Melt chocolate in a double boiler, set aside and allow to cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 more minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 tablespoons of the hottest tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don't Whip! Spread immediately on the cooled cake.