Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Total time: 55 minutes

Ingredients
For the cake:
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened dark chocolate cocoa powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon of baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup strong brewed coffee, cooled
½ cup of milk
For the icing:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 ½ cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons of milk
1 ½ cups mini semi-sweet chocolate pieces

Instructions :
In a bowl, mix the flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Put aside.
In a measuring cup, combine cooled coffee and milk. Put aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar for 5 minutes, until smooth. Beat the eggs one at a time. Slowly add the dry ingredients, alternating with the coffee/milk mixture (about 3 additions of each).
Pour cake batter into two prepared pans (2- to 9-inch round cake pans, lined with parchment paper and greased and floured). Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. Remove and let cool for about 10 minutes before unmolding. Cool completely on a rack before frosting.
For the frosting, beat the butter for 3-4 minutes until pale. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. Beat for an additional 3-4 minutes until fluffy and smooth!

To assemble the cake, place one layer of cake on a cake plate. Place ¼ of the frosting on top of the cake, spreading it evenly. Top with about ½ cup mini bites. Add the second layer of cake. Spread a layer of frosting on the sides of the cake and the top, very thin. This is your coat of crumbs. Let set for about 15 minutes (or refrigerate). Apply the final layer of frosting, spreading it evenly and using a straight-edged spatula to smooth. Using your cupped hands, press the mini chips into the sides. Continue until all sides are finished.
Slice and enjoy!

Remarks :
The coffee in this cake only deepens the chocolate flavor. This in no way makes this cake taste like coffee! If you absolutely must remove the coffee, simply replace the ½ cup of coffee with water.
To prevent frosting of the cake plate, place strips of parchment paper under the first cake layer, all the way around. Once the icing is applied, carefully remove the paper strips!