Brown Velvet Cake

This decadently moist chocolate cake is similar to "red velvet", but without using an entire bottle of red food coloring. Crumbling cake scraps for decoration is an easy and elegant way to decorate. Place the crumbs on a baking sheet and let them dry slightly to make them easier to apply to the iced cake.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush with butter and flour on 3 (8-inch) cake pans.Prepare the cake: Beat together the sugar and butter in an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Add the buttermilk mixture alternately, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Beat on low speed until smooth after each addition. Whisk with vanilla. Spread the dough evenly over the prepared pans.Bake in the preheated oven until a wooden stick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool in the tins on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan; cool completely on a wire rack for about 30 minutes. Cut off the sides of each cake; crumble the scraps and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. If the filling is too wet to crumble finely, place in the oven at 350 ° F until dry, 10-15 minutes, stirring in the middle. Cool completely and crumble into fine crumbs. (Or chop it in a food processor to make a fine crumb.) Leave crumbs for decoration.Prepare the frosting: Beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating until fluffy for 3-4 minutes. Whisk with vanilla.Spread the icing between the layers, as well as on the top and sides of the cake. Heat a teaspoon in very hot water. Gently run the tip of the spoon along the sides and top of the cake, warming the spoon frequently to create curls. Gently press the remaining crumbs into the bottom of the cake 2 to 3 inches thick. Sprinkle the cake crumbs around the 1-inch-thick edges on top of the cake. Store unopened in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.