• To begin, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease and flour a 9×13 inch cake pan. Set it aside.
• In a cup or bowl, combine the instant coffee and hot water. Give it a stir and set it aside for the coffee to dissolve.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Stir it all together and set it aside for now.
• In a saucepan, melt your butter over medium low heat. As soon as it is melted turn off the heat.
• Whisk in the coffee mixture and the buttermilk.
• In a small bowl, whisk your eggs.
• Now ladle a little of the buttery coffee mixture into the eggs while whisking them. This will temper your eggs so you don’t get scrambled eggs in your cake!
• Pour the warmed eggs into the saucepan with the rest of the liquid.
• Stir in the vanilla.
• Pour liquid mixture into the large mixing bowl with your dry ingredients and stir it together until just combined.
• Pour it into your cake pan and bake for 35 minutes or until it tests done with a toothpick. Cool completely.
• Note: If you are making this a regular cake, dress it up any way you wish. You can also bake this as two 8-inch round layers, for about 25 minutes, or until they test done.

For the Cream

• Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat with wire mixer until they are smooth. Don’t forget to scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula. Do not beat the cream to death – you aren’t looking for soft or stiff peaks, just a smooth consistency.
• Note! If you do whip this to stiff peaks – you will have created a luxurious and flavorful mocha frosting!

To assemble the Trifle:

• Remove the cooled cake to a cutting board and cut the cake into small cubes, about 1 1/2 inches. Completely cover the bottom of a trifle dish or any other large clear serving dish (if you have one). You should use about 1/3 of the cake. Spread 1/3 of the cream mixture over the top of the cake layer. Sprinkle 1/3 of the nuts over the cream. Repeat the process creating three layers of each.
• Finish off by sprinkling the shaved chocolate over the top.