1 1/4 cups white sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup butter
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup chopped pitted pecans
1 1/4 cups milk
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa paper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease two 8-inch cake pans. In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar, oil and eggs. (For a smoother cake, combine oil and eggs with vanilla extract; stir just until blended.) Sift together the flour; set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the extracts and sugar, set aside. Sift together the remaining flour, using a stand mixer, and the cocoa and butter. Replace bottom of cake pan with a 12-inch Bundt pan.
Pour half of melted confectioners' sugar, cocoa and baking powder into the pan. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until mixture is smooth. Stir in the remaining 3/4 cup cooking and flour mixture alternately with the milk; mix just until combined.
Grease and flour the second and third layers of cake pans. On a medium bowl, stir together the sifted cake mixture, 1/3 cup butter and the 3/4 cup flour. Fold in the cake batter until well coated. Spread half of the batter into the prepared pans. Beat half of the coffee mixture--which will be too dark to make a cake--into the creamed mixture. Spread another layer of the batter over the top. Fold over the top cake.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in the pan before serving.