MOCHA CAKE W/ ESPRESSO BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

i am not reigning true to my exaggeration habits when i say that this cake is off the charts. that's just the cold-hard truth. every time one of my family members Bakes it, it's not long before it is devoured. i made this for a friend's early birthday last weekend and it remained true to the aforementioned. it's not the quickest cake to whip together, also not extremely hard, but totally worth the effort. what kind of person would i be not to share such a recipe?

MOCHA CAKE
you will need:
-1 1/3 c. all-purpose flour
-1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
-1 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-1/4 tsp salt
-1/2 c. whole milk
-1/2 c. strong brewed coffee
-1 1/2 tsp espresso powder
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1/2 c. (1 stick) room temperature butter
-1/2 c. granulated sugar
-1/2 c. brown sugar
-1 room temperature egg

what to do:
mix the espresso powder into the brewed coffee until dissolved. set aside to cool to room temperature. preheat oven to 350F; grease and flour cake pans, or line muffin tins.
whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder/soda and salt; set aside.
beat the butter and both sugars together on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. add the egg and beat until well combined. in a measuring cup, combine the milk, brewed coffee mixture and vanilla. set aside. slowly add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture, alternating with the coffee mixture, ending with the flour mixture.
divide the batter evenly between the pans/liners. bake for 17-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. cool completely before frosting.

ESPRESSO BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
you will need:
-1 c. (2 sticks) room temperature butter
-2 1/2 c. powdered sugar
-1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
-1 1/2 tsp espresso powder

what to do:
mix the espresso powder into the vanilla until dissolved; set aside.
using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer, whip the butter on medium-high for 5 minutes (this is important), stopping to scrape the sides as needed. reduce the speed to low, adding the powdered sugar a little at a time; wait until the added doses are incorporated before adding more. once all is added, scrape the sides and increase speed, whipping until fluffy, for about 2 minutes.
add the espresso and vanilla mixture while continuing to incorporate all ingredients. scrape the sides and give it one more go around.
eat in moderation! i'm not always about that.