- 3/4 cup vegetable oil plus more for greasing pans
- 3/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process) plus more for dusting pans
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup well-stirred canned unsweetened coconut milk
- 3 large eggs, warmed in shell in warm water 5 minutes
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups well-stirred canned unsweetened coconut milk
- 24 ounces (4 cups) semisweet chocolate chips (see Cooks' Notes)
- 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
- 1 1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Special equipment: 2 (9-inch) round cake pans (2 inches deep); parchment paper
- Heat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Oil pans and line bottoms with rounds of parchment, then dust sides only with cocoa powder, knocking out excess.
- Whisk together water, coconut milk, 3/4 cup oil, eggs, and vanilla in a bowl until well blended and smooth.
- Sift together flour, sugar, 3/4 cup cocoa powder, baking powder and soda, and salt into a large bowl. Add wet ingredients to flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
- Divide batter between pans, and bake until a tester comes out clean and layers just begin to pull away from side of pans, 25 to 30 minutes.
- Cool cake layers in pans on a rack 30 minutes, then run a thin knife around edge of pans and invert cakes onto rack. Remove parchment and cool completely.
- Combine coconut milk, chocolate chips, and espresso powder in a heat-proof bowl. Set bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, and heat, whisking occasionally, until chocolate is melted and smooth.
- Remove bowl from pan and whisk in corn syrup and vanilla.
- Chill frosting, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and spreadable, about 2 hours. (To quick-chill, place bowl in the freezer and stir occasionally until chocolate mixture is thickened and spreadable, 20 to 30 minutes.)
- Spread frosting generously between cake layers and over top and sides.