Chocolate Espresso Cake

Ingredients:
3oz fine quality semisweet chocolate
1 1/2 cups Hot brewed coffee or espresso
3 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (not dutch process)
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoon Salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cups vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
3/4 teaspoons Vanilla exract

Preheat oven to 300 degrees
butter pans, line bottoms with rounds of parchment paper, butter again and dust with cocoa powder

Finely chop Chocolate and combine in bowl with hot coffee. Let mixture stand stirring occasionally until the chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.

in a large bowl:
sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

in another large bowl:
(with electric mixer)
beat eggs until thinckened slightly and lemon colored (about 3 minutes)
slowly add: oil, buttermilk, vanilla and melted chocolate mixture to eggs
MIX WELL
Add sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until combined well

divide mixture evenly into cake pans

cook time: 1 hour - 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Raspberry Ganache

ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs milk chocolate; chopped and melted
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup raspberry Jam
1 teaspoon raspberry flavoring

Directions:
stir until mixed well
Use as Filler for layers

Buttercream Icing

Ingredients:
2 sticks of butter
2 cups crisco shortening
1 teaspoon wiltons butter flavoring
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 lbs powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 tablespoon "Just Whites" Meringue powder
2 tablespoons Water (if necessary)

In a mixer:
Mix crisco, butter and salt for 5 minutes on low
then add: almond, butter and vanilla extracts
mix well
add: 1 lb of powdered sugar and meringue powder to mix

continue to add 1/2 cup of powdered sugar at a time until you get the consistency you want; blend well on low

*add a little milk (a teaspoon at a time) if frosting is to thick

Marshmallow Fondant Icing

Ingredients:
16 ounces White Mini Marshmallows
2-5 tablespoons Water
2lbs Icing Sugar (C&H Cane Powered Sugar)
1/2 cup Crisco Shortening

Directions:
Melt Marshmallows and 2 tablespoons of water in microwave for 30 seconds, stir and microwave for an additional 30 second, repeat (this usually takes 2 1/2 minutes)

Place 3/4 of the powered sugar on top of the melted marshmallow mix.

Now grease your hands GENEROUSLY then heavily grease the counter you are going to be working on.

Dump the bowl of mixture in the middle of the counter, start kneading like you would bread dough. Add rest of powered sugar and knead more.

*regrease hands and counter if necessary*

add a tablespoon of water if it starts to tear. This process takes about 8 minutes

TO STORE:
coat with a good layer of crisco shortening and double wrap in a plastic wrap and store in a ziploc bag