Chocolate Cake with Salted Caramel Ganache

This is a cake so amazing, so delicious, so decadent that I made it for my birthday two years in a row. I wanted to make a different cake this year, I really did; I love cooking things that are exciting and new, and I don’t have nearly enough excuses to bake cakes. But as the day neared, I found my mind constantly wandering back to this rich, dense chocolate cake, layered with salted caramel ganache, just the right balance of salty and sweet. And I finally admitted that I’d already found my birthday perfection; it’s my day after all, dammit, and I was going to have this cake.

(Yes, it was recently my birthday, and yes, I am now a year older, and no, I’m not worried about getting older, just excited because I think this upcoming year will be even better than the last.)

Chocolate Cake (adapted from Epicurious)
Yield: 1 2-layer 10″ cake OR 1 2-layer 8″ or 9″ cake + 1 dozen cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 3 ounces semisweet chocolate*
• 1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee
• 3 cups sugar
• 3 cups cake flour**
• 1 1/2 cups cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• salted caramel ganache (see below)
• fleur de sel***

*Chopped or in chips/chunks, please.
**Or substitute 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour.
***Or substitute sea salt or kosher salt.

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Butter 2 10″ round cake pans (or 2 8″ or 9″ pans and a cupcake pan). Line the bottoms of the cake pans with a round of parchment paper, then butter the paper.
3. Combine 3 ounces semisweet chocolate and 1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee in a small bowl, and let sit, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate has melted.
4. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together 3 cups sugar, 3 cups cake flour, 1 1/2 cups cocoa powder, 2 tsp baking soda, 3/4 tsp baking powder, and 1 1/4 tsp salt.
5. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat 3 large eggs on high speed until thickened and lighter in color, about 3 – 5 minutes.
6. Lower speed to medium, and slowly add 3/4 cup vegetable oil, 1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and the melted chocolate mixture, beating until well combined.
7. Add the sugar mixture, and beat until just combined (you don’t want any visible flour, but be careful not to overmix).
8. Fill cake pans 2/3rd full with batter, and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours (cupcakes will only need about 30 minutes).
9. Remove from oven, and let cool completely in pans on cooling racks.
10. Carefully invert the layers onto a plate, and remove the parchment paper. Cake layers can be made a day ahead and kept, wrapped in plastic wrap (I leave the parchment paper on), in the refrigerator or at room temperature. If you want to make a 4-layer cake, carefully slice each layer in two using a serrated knife (refrigerating the cake overnight makes this much easier, and I use toothpicks to guide the knife).
11. When ready to assemble, frost with salted caramel ganache, and top with a sprinkle of fleur de sel, if desired.