• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour three 8 inch pans. We also line the bottom of our pans with circles of parchment paper.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients (the dry ingredients), whisking for about 20 seconds to combine.
• Next, add in the remaining ingredients (the wet ingredients and eggs), and mix with an electric mixer or stand mixer. Mix on low speed for about 10-15 seconds to combine, then increase to medium speed and mix for 2 minutes.
• Allow the batter to sit for 15-20 minutes. (Gluten free cake batter often benefits from resting- it makes for a nicer texture).
• Divide the cake batter between the three prepared cake pans. Place in the oven on a center rack. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached.
• Gluten free batter takes a bit longer to bake and has less structure, I've found that lightly touching the centers for doneness can sometimes cause slight sinking in those spots. Checking doneness with a toothpick is best if possible.
• Once baked, cool the layers in the cake pan for 5-10 minutes before turning out. If you used parchment to line your pans, peel away from the cake layers. Allow the layers to cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Buttercream

• Add butter and mix on low to medium speed until smooth. Add vanilla and blend into the butter. Add powdered sugar, salt, and cocoa powder.
• Add most of the milk. Begin mixing at low speed so you won't have a cloud of powdered sugar in your kitchen.
• Continue to mix, adding remaining milk as needed. It may take 5 to 6 minutes to reach the smoothness and consistency you like. It will take longer if using a hand mixer. As you mix, the frosting will become very smooth.

Assembling and Decorating

• Place the first cool or room temperature cake layer on the cake plate or pedestal. Spread with frosting. Top with the second cake layer and repeat. Top with the third cake layer. Frost the cake with a thin layer of frosting. This is the "crumb coat". At this point, we like to chill the cake to firm up the buttercream (10 minutes in the freezer or a bit longer in the refrigerator.)
• Next, apply the second layer of frosting. Decorate however you'd like. We used a bench scraper to smooth the frosting around the sides as we rotated it on a turntable. Then, we added a bit of texture with a small offset spatula, and added chunky rosettes and shells for borders using a 2D tip.

Storage

• This cake can be stored at room temperature under a cake dome or in an airtight container for 2 days. Beyond that, we like to move to the refrigerator. The texture of this cake is best at room temperature. If the cake has been chilled, allow it to sit out or an hour or two before serving so that it has time to soften up a bit.