~Triple layer Chocolate Mint cake~

I have been wanting to put this on here since Saturday...and just now found the time!
This is a recipe that I kinda mixed up to make it better and esier. The cake is from Christmas with Southern Living 1994, as is the mint cream, but the pudding frosting I got from Aida Mollenkamp's Mocha Blackout Cake. (from Food Network)

The Cake:

6 (1 oz.) squares unsweetened chocolate          2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup butter, softened                                        1/2 tsp. salt
2 2/3 cups sugar                                              1 1/3 cups milk
4 eggs                                                             2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups cake flour                                    

Butter and flour 3 9in cake pans.(you can also use parchment paper on the bottom of the pans, but I don't)
Melt chocolate squares in a heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally.Set aside.
Beat butter at med. speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar,beating well.Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in melted chocolate.
Combine flour, baking soda, and salt; add to chocolate mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.Stir in vanilla.Spoon batter into prepared pans.
Bake at 350F for 25 min. or until toothpick comes out clean.Cool in pans on wire rack 10 min. ; remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.

Mint-cream:
 
 1 3/4 cups whipping cream
 1/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
 1/4 tsp peppermint extract

Beat whipping cream at med. speed with an electric mixer until foamy.Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until soft peaks form.Sir in extract.

Pudding Frosting:

2 cups sugar                                       2 tbs vanilla extract
6 tbs cornstarch                                  6 egg yolks
4 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder       1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
4 tbs instant coffee powder                 4 tbs butter, chilled and cubed
5 cups whole milk

Combine the sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder,and coffee powder in a large heavy saucepan (I like to use cast-iron, but remember that it will take longer to heat up.), and whisk to evenly combine. Whisk in the milk and vanilla until completelly incorporated and the mixture is smooth.Whisk in the egg yolks until combined.
Cook over med-low heat,stirring constantly,until mixture thickens and bubbles.Reduce the heat a little lower and cook,stirring constantly, until completely thickened. Note that it won't thicken gradually, but it will happen suddenly...like you look away, and them look back and it's thick.
Remove from the heat and immediately (like within 3 min. Don't break any bones trying to get it in there as soon as possible),add the chocolate and the butter, and stir until melted and evenly combined. Cool slightly, then place in another dish, and place plastic-wrap directly on the surface of the pudding.
Chill for at least 1 1/2 hours.

For the filling:
 Take half of the chilled pudding and mix it with the mint cream.Add more mint if desired(to your taste).
Use this mixture for the filling, and use only the pudding for the frosting.

Enjoy! :)