Chocolate Birthday Cake

INGREDIENTS

2 cups

all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pans

3/4 cup

unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

1 tbsp

instant espresso powder

3/4 tsp

baking soda

3/4 tsp

salt

1 3/4 cups

milk (2% or whole is best)

1 tbsp

vanilla extract

18 tbsp

unsalted butter, softened but still cool (plus more for greasing the pans)

2 cups

sugar

large eggs, at room temperature

6 oz

good-quality semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (I used Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips)

2 cups

unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 tbsp

milk

2 tsp

vanilla extract

salt

3 cups

powdered sugar

1/2 cup

unsweetened cocoa powder