Directions

1. Preheat oven to at 350 degrees. Coat cake pans with cooking spray; cover bottoms with parchment, and coat again. Set aside. Whisk cocoa powder into coffee in a large bowl until cocoa has dissolved; set aside.
2. Sift together flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a large bowl; set aside.
3. Put butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in half of the flour mixture. Mix in coffee mixture. Mix in remaining flour mixture. Divide batter among prepared pans.
4. Bake until a cake tester inserted into centers comes out clean. Transfer to wire racks; let cool in pans slightly. Invert cakes onto racks. Remove parchment; reinvert. Cakes can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature up to 1 day.
5. To assemble: Review Cake Assembly instructions. Cut each cake horizontally into three 1-inch layers. Brush each layer with syrup (see note below for amounts). Spread ganache over 1 layer; top with another layer. Spread with dark-coffee buttercream. Top with remaining layer; spread with vanilla buttercream. Frost tier with buttercream (vanilla for top tier, light-coffee for middle, and dark-coffee for bottom). Decorate tiers with meringue drops.
   
   Note: Batter amounts and cooking times are for 3-inch-deep round pans. 6-inch-diameter: 5 1/2 cups batter, 1 hour 20 minutes; 8-inch-diameter: 7 1/2 cups batter, 1 hour 30 minutes; 10-inch-diameter: 11 cups batter, 1 hour 30 minutes.
   
   Filling and frosting amounts for each tier are as follows. 6-inch-diameter: 3 tablespoons syrup per layer (9 tablespoons total), 1 cup ganache, 1 cup dark-coffee buttercream, 3/4 cup vanilla buttercream for top layer, 11/2 cups vanilla buttercream for exterior; 8-inch-diameter: 1/4 cup syrup per layer (3/4 cup total), 1 3/4 cups ganache, 2 cups dark-coffee buttercream, 1 1/2 cups vanilla buttercream, 2 1/4 cups light-coffee buttercream for exterior; 10-inch-diameter: 1/2 cup syrup per layer (1 1/2 cups total), 2 1/2 cups ganache, 3 cups dark coffee buttercream for layer, 2 1/2 cups vanilla buttercream, 3 cups dark-coffee buttercream for exterior.