Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour three 8x2 inch round cake pans- I like to line my pans with parchment circles also. (You could also use two 9x2 inch pans.)

In a medium size bowl or large glass measuring cup, combine milk and dark chocolate chips. Microwave for 20 seconds, stir. Microwave another 10 seconds letting it sit a minute to soften further, stir. Microwave another 5-10 seconds as needed. The chocolate chips should look softened but hold their shape at this point. Stir or whisk until completely melted. It will take a minute or so of stirring.

Let the chocolate cool down slightly before using.

In a medium sized bowl, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa, and salt. Whisk for 30 seconds to blend and aerate then set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine the melted chocolate/milk mixture and sour cream and set aside.

In the bowl of your mixer, add the butter and mix until smooth. Slowly add the sugar and mix on medium speed 4-5 minutes until the mixture has lightened in color, fluffy and has increased in volume. Add vanilla.

Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until the yellow of the yolk disappears.

Add the dry ingredients alternately with the liquid chocolate/sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. (3 additions of dry and 2 additions of wet ingredients), mixing until blended. Stop mixer and scrape down the sides of bowl with your spatula.

With mixer on low, slowly add the hot coffee and mix until well combined. (about 30 seconds). Look over the recipe and make sure all ingredients have been added.

Bake at 350 degrees for 22 to 25 minutes. The layers will be done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached.

Cool in the pans 5 to 10 minutes then turn out

Add the slightly softened butter in the bowl of your mixer and mix on medium speed until smooth.

Add pieces of cream cheese to the mixing bowl. The cream cheese should be soft enough that it combines easily into the butter mixture.

Lower the mixing speed and add the sugar and cocoa slowly, along with the milk. Return to medium speed until well combined-Do not over mix. The longer it is mixed, the softer it becomes. If the frosting becomes too soft, refrigerate for 10 minutes or so to firm up.

Makes about 5 ½ cups of frosting. Cakes frosted with cream cheese frosting should be refrigerated until closer to the time of decorating.

Decorate the cake however you like, this frosting is very easy to work with. If it becomes too soft, just pop it in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes. I filled and frosted the cake, smoothed around the sides with a bench scraper to remove excess frosting, and then used a cake comb to decorate around the sides. I used a piping tip 21 to decorate the top of the cake with small rosettes, shells, and stars.