Ancho Chile Devil's Food Cake

Ingredients

 * 1¼ cups cake flour
 * ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
 * 3 tablespoons pure ancho chile powder
 * ⅛ teaspoon cayenne
 * 1 teaspoon baking soda
 * ¼ teaspoon baking powder
 * ½ teaspoon salt
 * 10 tablespoons unsalted butter (at room temperature)
 * 1½ cups granulated sugar
 * 3 large eggs (at room temperature)
 * 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
 * ½ cup buttermilk (at room temperature)
 * ½ cup hot coffee

Ganache

 * 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
 * ¾ cup heavy cream

Directions

 * 1) Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 °F.
 * 2) Lightly grease two (9-inch) cake pans and line them with circles of parchment paper or greased wax paper.
 * 3) Sift flour, cocoa, ancho chile powder, cayenne, baking soda, baking powder and salt onto a sheet of wax paper.
 * 4) Sift 2 more times to mix and aerate.
 * 5) Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat at high speed for 30 seconds, or until well combined and smooth.
 * 6) Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated.
 * 7) Continue beating, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary, until light and fluffy, about 5 more minutes.
 * 8) With the mixer on a low setting, or using a rubber spatula, beat or fold in one-third of the flour mixture.
 * 9) Beat or fold in vanilla extract, half of the buttermilk and half of the coffee, then another one-third of the flour mixture.
 * 10) Beat or fold in the remaining buttermilk and coffee, then the remaining flour mixture.
 * 11) Spread batter evenly in prepared pans.
 * 12) Bake for 30 minutes or until the centers spring back when lightly pressed.
 * 13) Cool the cake layers in the pans on a wire rack.
 * 14) Invert each cake onto a plate.
 * 15) Trim the tops flat with a serrated knife.
 * 16) Spread one-third of the ganache over one layer.
 * 17) Flip the other layer on top, and frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining ganache.
 * 18) Put chocolate in a small bowl.
 * 19) In a small saucepan, bring cream to a scald over medium heat.
 * 20) Pour the hot cream over the chocolate.
 * 21) Working from the center out, gently stir to melt and blend until smooth.
 * 22) Let the ganache sit until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
 * 23) It should be spreadable, but still pourable.
 * 24) If the ganache doesn't have a smooth patina, blend in a few drops of cold heavy cream.
 * 25) A matte finish will dry to a mirror shine.