Touchdown Triple Chocolate Football Cake! Game Day Ready

Instructions:

1. Grease and flour the cake pans, then line the bottom with parchment paper rounds.
2. Whisk together dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients. Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir in boiling water (and coffee, if using).
3. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
4. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then invert them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Heat heavy cream in a saucepan until simmering. Pour over chopped chocolate and let sit for a minute. Whisk until smooth. Let cool slightly to thicken.
6. Beat softened butter until smooth. Gradually add confectioners' sugar, alternating with heavy cream, until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla and salt.
7. Level the cakes if needed. Use a sharp knife to shape each layer into half of a football shape (creating a dome).
8. Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread with chocolate ganache. Top with the second cake layer.
9. Frost the entire cake with a thin crumb coat of vanilla buttercream. Chill for 15-20 minutes.
10. Frost the entire cake with the remaining buttercream, smoothing it as much as possible. Tint the remaining buttercream with green food coloring. Use a piping bag to create grass on the cake. Add white frosting laces using a piping bag, or cut out fondant shapes to create the laces to finish the football cake.