1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) top/bottom heat. Line four 20cm springform pans with baking paper and lightly grease. I prefer silicone molds * here because they are easier to handle. Set everything to one side.
2. Sift flour, starch, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl and mix well. In a second large bowl, mix both types of sugar, oil, sour cream, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla extract. Add about half of the dry ingredients to the bowl and stir in.
Add the hot coffee and the remaining dry ingredients and mix everything well (but don’t stir too much). Divide the batter evenly between the baking tins and then bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes – use a toothpick to test whether any batter is sticking and only take the cakes out when it comes out clean. If the
oven is not big enough to bake all the cake layers at once, you can also bake in two rounds. Take the cakes out of the oven and let them cool completely on a wire rack. The cakes can be baked a day in advance and then stored well wrapped until you assemble the cake.
3. For the frosting, brew the coffee fresh, then stir in the cocoa until you have a smooth chocolate sauce. Set aside and allow to cool.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer (with a whisk attachment), mix the butter with the powdered sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract and salt. Beat with the whisk on high for about 5-6 minutes until the mixture looks light and fluffy. Add the cooled chocolate sauce and beat for another 2-3 minutes until everything is well combined.
5. While the food processor is working, you can roughly chop the chocolate and melt it (carefully) in the microwave (or in a bowl over a pan of simmering water). Allow to cool slightly. When the chocolate sauce is well incorporated and the melted chocolate has cooled, add the chocolate to the bowl and stir for about 2-3
minutes. The frosting will be quite soft. Place the bowl in the fridge for about 45-60 minutes to allow the frosting to firm up a little (see also notes). Once the cooled frosting no longer collapses when you stir the mixture, it is ready for the next step.
6. Place a first cake layer on a serving plate or cake stand. Spread some frosting on it and then place the second cake layer on top. Repeat this process until all cake layers are stacked on top of each other.
Place the stack in the fridge for about 30 minutes so that the layers stick together well. Then cover the cake with the remaining frosting. You don’t have to work super cleanly here – a super smooth surface is not really desired 😉
7. If you like, you can decorate the cake with some grated chocolate (optional).
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