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1
Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease three 5-inch round cake pans, and line bottoms with parchment paper.
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2
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.
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3
In the bowl of a standing mixer with a paddle attachment, mix oil, sugar and egg until well combined. Mix in buttermilk, vanilla extract and food coloring paste, followed by vinegar and espresso.
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4
With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture and mix until just blended.
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5
Pour the cake batter evenly between cake pans, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Remove pans from oven and set on a rack. Let cakes cool completely.
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6
To prepare cream cheese frosting, place cream cheese and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
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7
To assemble the cake, simply sandwich cake layers with the cream cheese frosting in between and place on a platter. Or fit a pasty bag with a big star tip and fill cakes with the frosting. Pipe a ring of buttercream around the outer edge of the cake as it sits on the platter. Starting at the inner edge of the border, continue piping a spiral of buttercream inward. Smooth the inside frosting with an offset spatula, leaving the edges untouched. Repeat to frost the remaining cake layers. Garnish with fresh flowers.
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8
Cover and refrigerate the cake. Leave cake at room temperature for at least an hour before serving.
