Mocha Layer Cake with Chocolate Ganache filling

5 eggs, separated
1 cup shortening
2 1/2 cups sugar
5 tablespoons strong brewed coffee
3 cups cake flour (or 3 cups all purpose flour minus 6 tbsps of flour)
4 teaspoons baking cocoa (I prefer Ghirardelli premium chocolate)
1 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk**


Ganache Filling:
1 cup semisweet chocolate, chopped fine or chips
1 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

Frosting:

5 1/2 to 6 cups confectioners' sugar

1 tablespoon baking cocoa

1 1/2 cups butter, softened

3 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons strong brewed cofee

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

Let eggs stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.  In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in coffee and vanilla.  Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk.  In another mixing bowl and with clean beaters, beat egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form; fold into batter.

Pour into 3 greased and floured 9 inch round baking pans.  Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.  (I use Wilton's large round baking pan.  If you use this you need to use the bake even strip and I also place the flower nail in the center; this helps the cake bake evenly.  Bake for 60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  You will also need to them cut the cake into layers after it has cooled.)

For the ganache heat the heavy cream in a saucepan until it boils and pour over the chocolate.  Let sit for a minute, add the confectioner's sugar and stir completely.  Let cool.

For the frosting, combine confectioner's sugar and cocoa.  In another large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar mixture.  Beat in coffee and vanilla.  

Take a decorators bag with a tip #12 and pipe a dam of icing on the edge of the layer.  Pour your ganache inside the dam.  

add your top layer and frost.  Be careful not to apply to much pressure so that the filling seeps out the sides.  Decorate with any other embellishments you wish or leave undecorated.

** if you do not have buttermilk put 1 tablespoon in 1 cup of milk and let sit for 30 minutes.