This is one of the greatest cakes I've eaten....and very easy.

[NRaleighLiberal]

http://everybodylikessandwiches.com/2011/05/happy-birthday-cake-to-me-black-magic-cake-with-vanilla-bean-buttercream/

"happy birthday cake to me: black magic cake with vanilla bean buttercream"

My daughter found this on line and asked me to make it for her birthday in May. It is just addictively delicious!

The blog at the link is fun to read - but I've copied and pasted the recipe here.

black magic layer cake with vanilla bean buttercream
(adapted from Hershey’s)

2 c white sugar
1 3/4 c all-purpose flour
3/4 c cocoa
2 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1 t salt
2 large eggs
1 c buttermilk
1 c strong black coffee (or 3 t of instant espresso in 1 c boiling water)
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 t vanilla extract

Heat oven to 375F. Butter and flour two eight-inch cake pans and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the sugar through to the salt. In another bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Pour the wet into the dry and mix well with a stand mixer or a wooden spoon. Pour the batter evenly into the 2 prepared pans. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes before inverting the cakes onto wire racks to cool completely.

vanilla bean buttercream
3 c icing/confectioners sugar
3/4 c soft butter
1/4 c cream cheese
1 vanilla bean scraped
1 t kosher salt
1 t vanilla

Mix the sugar with the butter and cream cheese until well blended and fluffy. Cut the vanilla bean in half, length-wise and scrape the seeds into the frosting. Add in the salt and vanilla and beat until well mixed.

When cake is completely cool, you can start frosting the cake. If your cake is a bit domed on top, you can slice it off using a serrated knife so you have a nice even top. Luckily my cake wasn’t domed so I was able to spread the frosting on one cake before placing the second cake on top. I then used a thin layer of frosting to do the whole cake (called a crumb layer – because here is where you’ll catch any stray crumbs). Then frost and decorate the whole cake however you choose.

[Lucinda]

1. I like the addition of the coffee and the buttermilk in this one a lot.

I'm not a huge layer cake fan as a rule, but this one is appealing. It seems like the flavor would really get a nice boost from the tang of the buttermilk, and the coffee. I always add a bit of coffee when cooking with chocolate. It makes a big difference in my truffles.

And what's not to love about vanilla bean. Thanks for bringing this one in!