Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a nine-inch baking pan or springform pan.

In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, flour, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside. Melt the butter in a pot over medium-low heat. Once butter has melted, add the coffee to the butter in the pot and whisk together.

In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Mix until well combined.

Pour the butter/coffee mixture into the flour mixture. Stir the mixture together gently. The purpose here isn’t to mix it together perfectly, but to cool down the heat before adding the egg mixture. Add in the egg mixture and stir gently until well combined. Pour into the pan. Bake for 26-30 minutes or until set. Allow to cool completely before making frosting.

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, butter, milk and cocoa powder. Let cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Bring to a boil and let boil for one minute. Whisk in the vanilla. Let cool for about 3 minutes and then pour over cake.