best chocolate cake ever with a little help from Sprinkles

You guys this cake is SO good it would be criminal to not share it with you. I've talked about making it before here. I did use a different frosting recipe, namely the Sprinkles recipe I normally use for cupcakes, and it just made the whole thing utterly delectable. 

Beatty's Chocolate Cake (from Ina Garten)

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

2 cups sugar

3/4 cups 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

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch x 2-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 the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

Sprinkles Chocolate Frosting

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, firm but not cold

pinch of salt

2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla

3 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled to room temperature

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with flat beater, beat the butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar and beat until incorporated. Add the vanilla and beat until smooth and creamy. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the chocolate and beat on medium speed until incorporated, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down sides. Do not over mix or it will incorporate too much air.

So there you have it! It ain't easy and it ain't quick but it sure is worth it!