Easy Cappuccino Cake

I work part-time in childcare at our local YMCA and last weekend was our annual staff party. The main dish was provided but if we wanted to bring a snack or sweet to share, we were told to do so. Of course that is something I wanted to do so I made Pioneer Woman's Chocolate Sheet Cake. I personally don't like pecans so I just sprinkled them on to half the cake. It is every bit as good as she says it is :)But the star of the show, so-to-speak, was my friend Rhonda's Easy Cappuccino Cake. Wow!!! I don't even LIKE coffee (even the smell of it) but there was something about this cake that I just loved. She gave me the recipe and then Friday an opportunity presented itself for me to make it -- it is so, so easy and so, so good. Here is what you need:
1 box white cake mix (make it according to directions -- you'll need oil & eggs)
4 T instant coffee (I bought coffee singles and treated each "single" as 1 Tablespoon)
1/4 cup + 1 T milk
4 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted
2 8-oz tubs Cool Whip

First I prepared the cake mix. . .just your regular additions of oil, eggs, and water PLUS 2 tablespoons of instant coffee. See the flecks in the mixture?After beating it for 2 minutes on high speed it all gets incorporated nicely.
I use parchment paper in my cake pans. While the cake mix is beating I trace the outside of my 9-inch pans onto the paper and then cut them out.I spray the pans, add the round circle, then spray the bottom of the pan again. I find that if I spray first, the paper sticks better to the pan.Pour the cake mix equally into the two pans.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for however the long the box of cake mix directs.
Meanwhile, begin making your toppings:
For the first tub of Cool Whip mix 1 tablespoon of milk with 1 tablespoon of instant coffee granules until combinedthen add to the topping.I mixed everything together in a separate bowl then returned it to its original container.Melt the 4 oz of baking chocolate. I used the microwave but you could easily put the bowl of chocolate over simmering water on the stove too.
In a measuring cup, mix together 1 tablespoon instant coffee with 1/4 cup milk, then add to chocolate mixture and incorporate together.Let this cool a little bit before adding to the other tub of Cool Whip.
Put both containers of topping in the refrigerator until you're ready to use them. You'll notice that one seems "fuller" than the other -- and it was. The consistency of the chocolate mixture was thicker.Pull the finished cakes out of the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.I didn't do anything except turn the cakes over onto the rack.
They completely just fell out. Here's how easy it is then to peel off the parchment:

When the cakes are completely cool, you are ready to assemble. First, cover the first layer with the chocolate topping:Again, this topping was thicker (I think b/c of the 4 ounces of chocolate in it?) and next time I think I will make this my outer layer. The coffee layer topping was just to thin to frost nicely -- that's why it looks like the cake is "melting". Also, I only used 1/2 of the chocolate topping -- I added some to the coffee topping in an attempt to stiffen it up some:
And frosted away!
I wish I had a picture of the cake cut because the contrast in layers is so pretty. . .but wouldn't that be rude to bring a cake with a piece cut out?!? There was some left but we sent it home with another family that especially loved it -- I can always make another one!!!

If you make it, let me know. . .it's very light and unexpected. Enjoy :)