1-First, preheat your oven to 350°F and get your three 8-inch round cake pans ready by greasing them, lining the bottoms with parchment paper, greasing again, and flouring.

2-Sift together the dry ingredients: 2½ cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, 3 cups granulated sugar, 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon Dutch-process cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon baking soda, 1½ teaspoons baking powder, and 1½ teaspoons salt.

3-In another bowl, whisk the wet ingredients: 3 eggs, 1½ cups buttermilk, 1½ cups hot strong black coffee, ¾ cup vegetable oil, and 4½ teaspoons vanilla extract.

4-Combine the wet and dry mixtures, mixing on medium speed for 2 minutes, then another 20 seconds while scraping the bowl; the batter will be thin.

5-Divide it evenly among the pans and bake for 20 minutes, rotate the pans, and bake for another 12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

6-Let the cakes cool in the pans for 20 minutes before moving them to wire racks.

7-For the peanut butter frosting, beat 2 cups powdered sugar, 2 cups creamy peanut butter, 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt on medium-low until creamy.

8-Add ⅔ cup heavy cream and beat on high until light and smooth, being careful not to overbeat.

9-Level the cakes if needed, then stack them: place one layer on a plate, spread with 1 cup frosting and sprinkle with 10 chopped peanut butter cups, repeat for the second layer, and top with the third layer face down.

10-Frost the whole cake, smooth it out, and chill for at least 1 hour.

11-For the ganache, heat ¾ cup heavy cream to just boiling and pour over 8 ounces finely chopped semisweet chocolate. Let it sit for 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth and cool until pourable.

12-Pour over the chilled cake, let it drip down the sides, and top with the remaining chopped peanut butter cups.

13-Refrigerate for 30 minutes and let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.