Preheat your oven to 350°F/175°C. Grease three 9-inch cake pans.
Sift together the all-purpose flour, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, and unsweetened cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl.
Add the baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the bowl with the sifted dry ingredients. Whisk everything together until well combined.
Mix the espresso powder into the hot water and set aside.
Whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, canola oil, and vanilla until smooth in another mixing bowl.
Add the espresso mixture and mix until combined.
Add the wet and dry ingredients to mix until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, which can result in a dense cake.
Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans and bake the cakes for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean.
Remove the cakes from the oven, and let them cool in the pans for 10 minutes.
Carefully remove the cakes from the pans, and let them cool completely on a wire rack.
Once the cakes are cool, you can frost and decorate them as desired.
Notes
This recipe makes enough batter for three 8 or 9" round pans, a 9x13" pan, or a 12-cup bundt pan. It will also make approximately 72 cupcakes.