Pre heat oven to 350 degrees F

Lightly grease 2 - 7 inch cake pans and line bottoms with parchment.

In bowl of mixer add the flour, sugar, cocoas, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a medium bowl add the eggs, oil, vanilla and coffee, stir to combine.

With mixer on low slowly pour the liquids into the dry ingredients.

Switch up to medium speed, mix until well combined.

Pour evenly into prepared pans.

Bake 38-42 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool completely.

FROSTING:

Cream butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy.

Add the espresso powder, continue mixing.

Slowly add in the powdered sugar one spoonful at a time.

Add in the Kahlua, continue mixing for about 2-3 minutes until frosting is creamy and smooth.

ASSEMBLY:

Cut off the round tops of cakes if need be.

Cut each cake horizontally to make a total of 4 layers.

Lay first cake layer on cake plate/board (add a bit of frosting underneath to hold the cake in place).

Spread or pipe a layer of frosting making sure to go to the edges, repeat with the remaining 3 layers.

With remaining frosting coat the sides of the cake using offset spatula.

Pipe shell border around the bottom, I used piping tip Wilton 2D.

Pipe decoration on the top, I used piping tip Wilton 2D. I did a shell border around the outside perimeter, then repeated by alternating the direction working my way inward toward the center of the cake.

Sprinkled with Wilton gold sugar pearls.

Keep cake in cool dry place until serving, can be refrigerated.