Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.

Add the vanilla extract, almond extract, buttermilk, eggs, and avocado oil to the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.

Stir in the melted butter, then add the hot water, mixing until the batter is smooth and well-combined. The batter will be thin.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Cut the butter into 6 pieces. The butter should be cold and each piece should be about 1 tablespoon. Set into a medium bowl

Chop the chocolate into small pieces and add into the bowl with the butter along with the salt and vanilla. Set aside

In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat cream and sugar until hot but just before boiling

Once the cream is heated, mix in the espresso powder

Pour the heated cream mixture over the chocolate, butter, salt, and vanilla. Let sit for 1 minute then mix until incorporated

Set in the fridge, stirring every 15-20 minutes until cooled but not hard. The icing should be a spreadable consistency

In a large bowl, combine the mascarpone cheese and heavy cream. Beat on medium speed until well combined, about 30 seconds.

Add the sugar, vanilla bean paste, and salt. Continue to beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 1-2 minutes.

Refrigerate the mascarpone cream until ready to assemble the cake.

In a small bowl, whisk together the hot water and instant espresso powder until dissolved.

Stir in the Grand Marnier. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.

Prepare the Layers: Level the tops of the cooled cakes with a serrated knife to create even layers.

Soak the Cake: Place the first cake layer on a serving plate or cake stand. Use a pastry brush to generously dab half of the espresso soak over the cake.

Add Ganache and Cream: Spread a thin layer of the espresso chocolate ganache over the soaked cake. Top with a generous layer of the mascarpone cream.

Dust with 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder.

Repeat Layers: Place the second cake layer on top and repeat the soaking, ganache, mascarpone cream, and cocoa dusting. Top with the third cake layer.

Finish the Cake: Spread the remaining espresso chocolate ganache over the top and sides of the cake. Decorate the top with the reserved mascarpone cream, if desired, using a piping bag or a ziploc bag with a small hole cut in the corner.

Dust and Serve: Finish with a dusting of the remaining cocoa powder on top.