Heavenly Chocolate Cake

• cooking spray 
• vegetable shortening
• 1/2 (4 ounce) semisweet chocolate baking bar, chopped
• 1/2 (4 ounce) bittersweet chocolate baking bar, chopped
• 1/2 C. butter, softened 
• 2 C. firmly packed light brown sugar 
• 3 large eggs 
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 C. cake flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt 
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 C. buttermilk
• 1 C. boiling water
• Coffee liqueur ganache icing (recipe follows)
• Mocha chocolate cream filling (recipe follows)
• Garnish: chocolate curls
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• Coat 3 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray. Line bottoms of pans with wax paper; grease wax paper with shortening, and set aside.
• Melt chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth; set aside.
• Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears after each addition. Stir in melted chocolate and vanilla.
• Sift together flour and next 3 ingredients; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating at low speed just until blended, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in boiling water. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.
• Bake at 350° for 28 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.
• Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate; spread top with 4 tablespoons Coffee Liqueur Ganache Icing. Spread half of Mocha-Chocolate Cream Filling evenly over ganache on cake layer. Top with second cake layer; spread top with 4 tablespoons Coffee Liqueur Ganache Icing and remaining Mocha-Chocolate Cream Filling. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining Coffee Liqueur Ganache Icing on top and sides of cake. Garnish, if desired.
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• Coffee-Liqueur Ganache Icing:
• 3 (4-ounce) bittersweet chocolate baking bars, finely chopped
• 1 1/4 C. whipping cream
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 2 Tbsp. coffee liqueur (such as Kahlua coffee liqueur)
• 
  
• Place chocolate in a bowl.
• Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium heat just until cream begins to boil. Pour over chocolate in bowl, stirring until smooth. Stir in butter and liqueur. Let stand 45 minutes or until spreading consistency.
• Mocha Chocolate Cream Filling:
• 5 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
• 2 Tbsp. instant coffee granules
• 1 C. half-and-half 
• 1 C. butter, softened 
• 1 C. 10X Confectioners Sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 
  
• Whisk together first 4 ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, 5 minutes or until thickened. Spoon mixture into a small bowl; cover surface of mixture with plastic wrap, pressing wrap onto surface, and let stand 30 minutes or until cool.
• Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually add cooled cocoa mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Add vanilla, beating until mixture is consistency of whipped cream.
• Helpful Tip: If you don't want to use the chocolate liqueur in the glaze, you can substitute  2 tablespoons of sweetened coffee.