Chocolate Layer Cake with Chocolate Goat Cheese Frosting

This is insanely delicious!  It was recently my daughter Ayla's 10th birthday and she absolutely loves goat cheese, so I thought I'd add it to the frosting. The resulting tang in the chocolate frosting with the coffee and olive oil in the rich, moist chocolate cake is a perfect balance.

For the cake:

2 cups cane sugar
1 3/4 cups unbleached A/P flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 eggs
2 cups brewed coffee
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Butter and line 2 9" cake pans with parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or by hand, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Add the eggs, coffee, olive oil, and vanilla extract. Beat well for a minute or so, being sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans.

Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cakes completely before frosting.

For the frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter at room temperature
4 oz. goat cheese (chèvre)
4 oz. dark chocolate, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons heavy cream
2 cups (1 lb.) powdered sugar

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or with a handheld mixer, beat the butter and goat cheese until well combined. Mix in the chocolate, vanilla, cream, and powdered sugar. Beat well until fluffy. Frost the cooled cake as desired. (We have beautiful violets (edible) here, so they adorned our cake.)

Enjoy!