Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease the bottom of three 6” round cake pans with nonstick baking spray. Line the bottoms of the pan with parchment paper and set them aside. Do not grease the sides of the pan. 

Add the eggs to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed (Kitchenaid #6-8) slowly adding the granulated sugar. Once all of the sugar has been added, continue beating for 5-8 minutes or until the batter reaches the “lava stage”. This is also known as the “ribbon” stage as the batter should fall like a ribbon off of the beater. 

Sift the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon to the bowl and fold it gently into the egg mixture. Make sure to fold gently as you don’t want to deflate the eggs. 

Divide the batter between the pans and bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

Allow the cakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then run a knife around the edge and turn them out onto a wire rack to cool. Make sure to cool the cake completely before frosting. 

Add the cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed for 1-2 minutes or until the mixture is smooth and fully combined. 

With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the powdered sugar. 

Next add the vanilla extract and then scrape down the sides of the bowl. 

Turn the mixer to high speed and beat for 2-3 minutes, or until the frosting is light and fluffy. 

Brush the top of each layer of cake with the espresso. 

Repeat with the next layer-- place the espresso side up, top with ¾ cup frosting, and then place the final layer of cake espresso side down. This will ensure that you have a smooth and even top to your cake. 

Add a few spoonfuls of frosting to the top of the cake and spread it evenly over the top and down the sides with an offset spatula. 

Add any remaining frosting to a piping bag and decorate the top of the cake, if desired. 

Add the cocoa powder to a sifter and cover the top of the cake in a generous layer of cocoa. 

Store the cake covered in the fridge until ready to serve. Slice and enjoy. 

Keep the cake covered in the fridge for up to three days.