A Good Little Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1/2 cup cocoa (not Dutch process)
Dissolve in cup hot coffee
Add 2 tsps vanilla
Cool to room temp

Cream 12 tbls unsalted butter with 1 1/4 cups sugar
until fluffy

Add 2 large eggs 1 at a time, beat until well combined about a minute. The eggs should be at room temperature.

1 1/4 cups flour (tblsp or two less if its King Arthur flour)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Mix the dry ingredients together

Add dry ingredients & cocoa/coffee mix alternately in three stages combining well after each addition. Beat at the end for about a minute until well combined.
Bake in two 8 inch pans for about 25 minutes

For frosting cream 1/2 lb butter with two cups confectioners sugar, 1 tbsp vanilla until creamy.

I found this basic recipe in Cook's Illustrated years' ago. I hope they don't mind my posting it here, escpecially if I recommend the magazine as a fine resource for recipes, general cooking advice and testing of food and food preparation items. It can be recognized by what is generally an attractive cover.
Cook's Illustrated