Instructions: Prep time: 1-1/2 hours plus cooling

Baking Time: 10 to 12 minutes per
batch

Cake Wafers

Cake wafers: Preheat oven to 350 deg. F. Invert two (or more if you have them) 9-inch round cake pans; grease and flour bottoms of pans.

Beat butter in mixer bowl until smooth. Beat in sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Beat in flour and salt just until combined.

Spread 1/3 cup batter evenly on each inverted cake pan to within 1/4 inch of edge. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly browned around edges. With long, thin metal spatula, loosen each wafer and transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat on buttered, floured pans with remaining batter to make a total of 12 wafers. (Can be made ahead. Stack between sheets of wax paper and cover tightly, up to 2 days.)

Coffee buttercream: Heat milk in medium saucepan over medium heat just to boiling. Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks and sugar together in medium bowl.

Gradually whisk in hot milk. Return mixture to saucepan; cook, stirring constantly, over medium-low heat until mixture thickens and coats back of spoon, about 6 minutes. (Do not boil.) Strain through sieve into mixer bowl. Stir in coffee powder and vanilla. Cool to room temperature. Beat in 2 cups butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition.

To assemble, place 1 cake wafer on serving platter. Spread evenly with 1/3 cup buttercream. Add second wafer and 1/3 cup more buttercream; repeat with remaining wafers and buttercream, ending with wafer. Pipe remaining buttercream decoratively on top. (Can be made ahead. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours.) Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.

Makes
16 servings.

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