For the Chocolate Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350 and spray 3 8″ round cake pans with nonstick spray that contains flour. (You can also use 4 6″ round pans)
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
• While continuing to mix, slowly pour in the hot coffee. Whisk quickly so that the hot coffee doesn’t start to cook the eggs.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until well combined. Pour evenly into the prepared cake pans.
• Bake at 350 for 23-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs attached.
• Let cool for 15 minutes, then wrap with plastic and place in the fridge to chill.

For the Vanilla Buttercream

• In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter for 10 minutes. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl every couple of minutes.
• After 10 minutes the butter should be silky smooth and almost white in color.
• Mix in the salt and vanilla until combined.
• Add the sifted powdered sugar 1/2 at a time, mixing for 3 minutes on low after each addition.
• Add the heavy cream 1-2 TBSP at a time until you reach your desired consistency. You want it thin enough to be spreadable, but thick enough that it still holds its shape when piped.
• Do a final mix with a rubber spatula to remove any extra air bubbles.

Decorate the cake

• Crumb coat the cake then pop in the fridge for 30 minutes to set.
• Apply the final coat of buttercream and smooth with a cake comb.
• Color the leftover buttercream light and dark pink using pink and brown food coloring to achieve a muted pink tone.
• Pipe “XO” all over the cake randomly with a small round tip.
• Pipe stars and swirls on top of the cake and randomly around the sides.
• Apply the small heart sprinkles in random clumps all over the cake. Use a tiny bit of buttercream on your finger to pick up and place the sprinkles.