Black cocoa powder substitute: If you do not have black cocoa powder, you can use an equal amount of dutch process cocoa powder, making it a total of 147g or 1 ¾ cup.


Make the cake layers ahead of time. This cake stays moist for dayyyys, so you can make ahead of time. Store at room temperature wrapped tightly and stored in an airtight container for 1-2 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. If frozen, be sure to leave the cake layers out a room temperature overnight, then decorate the next day.


No need for cake strips! These cake layers bake up perfectly flat, so there's no need to add cake strips on the pans.