Homemade Devil Dog, Ding Dong or Hostess Cake

Preheat oven to 300°F. Grease pans and line the bottoms of two 10-inch round cake pans with wax paper, then grease the paper.

Finely chop the chocolate and combine with hot coffee in a bowl. Stir occasionally until melted and smooth.

In a large bowl, sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In another large bowl, beat eggs with an electric mixer until thickened slightly and lemon-colored.

Slowly add the oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to the eggs, beating until combined well.

Add the sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined.

Divide the batter between the pans and bake in the middle of the oven for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.

Cool layers completely in pans on racks, run a knife around edges, and invert onto racks.

Combine frosting ingredients with a pinch of salt in a metal bowl over simmering water and beat with a mixer at high speed until thick and fluffy (6-7 minutes). Remove from heat and beat until slightly cool.

Finely chop chocolate for ganache. In a saucepan, bring cream, sugar, and corn syrup to a boil over low heat, whisking until sugar dissolves.

Remove from heat, add chocolate, and whisk until melted. Add butter, whisking until smooth.

Cool until spreadable (chill if necessary). Spread frosting over top and sides of the cake, chilling the cake to harden the chocolate coating.

Assemble cake with marshmallow filling in the center and ganache coating.