Is your mouth ready to water?

Sweet and Salty Chocolate Cake

Cupcake ranking: 4 + Cupcakes

This cake is OFF. THE. CHARTS.  Seriously we had friends over and between them and second helpings (by us) the cake was gone by Monday morning.  Crazy good.  Why you ask?  Chocolate Carmel Ganache, Chocolate Cake, Ganache, carmel sauce, chocolate cake.  Salty, chocolatey, sweet, and gooey.  Do I need to say more.  No I do not.

Ingredients

 

3/4 C Cocoa powder

2/3 C Sour cream

2 2/3 C all-purpose Flour, plus more for pans

2 tsp Baking powder

1 tsp Baking soda

1/2 tsp Salt

3/4 C (1 1/2 sticks) Unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pans

1/2 C Vegetable shortening

1 1/2 C Granulated sugar

1 C Dark brown sugar

3 large Eggs

1 Tbs pure Vanilla

1/2 cup Caramel with Salt*

Whipped Caramel Ganache Icing**

A few pinches of Fleur de sel

 

 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter three 8-by-2-inch round cake pans. Line each pan with a parchment paper round, butter parchment paper and flour; set aside.

 

In a large bowl, whisk together cocoa, 1 1/4 cups hot water, and sour cream; set aside to cool, about 10 minutes

 

In another large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

 

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and shortening together until smooth and it appears to create strings inside the bowl, about 7 minutes. Add both sugars and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 7 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until well incorporated. Add vanilla, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, and mix again for 30 seconds. Add flour mixture alternating with cocoa mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

 

Divide batter evenly among the three prepared pans. Bake until cake is just firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 18 to 24 minutes (Apparently this is a mis-print.  Supposedly it takes about 34-38 minutes.  In my oven it took 30.) Let cool completely.

 

*Carmel Sauce

 

1 Cup Sugar

2 Tbs light Corn syrup

1/2 C Heavy cream

1 tsp fleur de sel (or sea salt works great)

1/4 C Sour cream

 

Combine 1/4 cup water, sugar, and corn syrup in a medium saucepan; stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the mixture reaches 350 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes (This process took me 4 TIMES.  It takes about 6-9 minutes depending on your sea level and the moisture in the air.  When the sauce does get to 350 degrees it WILL NOT be brown.  Just around the edges will be faintly tan.  Take it off the heat.  Take it off the heat.  Take it off the heat.  It cools for 1 minute.  In that time, the sauce will start to turn brown and then when you add the warm cream it will turn brown.  If you let the sugar mixture go past 350, it will burn and be black and you will have to start over.)

 

Meanwhile, in another small saucepan, mix together cream and salt. Bring cream to a boil and cook until salt has dissolved, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

 

When the caramel mixture has reached 350 degrees, remove from heat and allow to cool for 1 minute. Carefully add the hot cream to the caramel; stir to combine. Whisk in sour cream. Cool, and store in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 3 days.  (The sauce is delish.  It would be crazy amazing on icecream.)

 

Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes to make level. Place four strips of parchment paper around perimeter of a serving plate or lazy Susan. Place the first layer on the cake plate. Using about 1/4 cup of the caramel, spread a thin layer on the cake, allowing some of the caramel to soak into the cake  (I added a little more.  :)). Follow the caramel layer with a layer of about 1 cup of the ganache icing. Place the second layer on top and repeat process with another layer of caramel followed by a layer of ganache icing. Place the remaining layer on top of the second layer bottom side up. Spread entire cake with remaining ganache icing. Sprinkle with fleur de sel.

 

**Carmel Ganache

 

1 lb Dark chocolate, chopped

1 C Sugar

2 Tbs Light corn syrup

1 1/2 C Heavy cream

1 lb (4 sticks) Butter, cut into tablespoon-sized pieces, softened but still cool

 

Combine 1/4 cup water, sugar, and corn syrup in a medium saucepan; stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the mixture reaches 350 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 6-9 minutes. (See directions above.  Yep you have to do it again).

 

In another small saucepan add cream and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside.

 

When the caramel mixture has reached 350 degrees, remove from heat and allow to rest for 1 minute.

 

Add the hot cream to the caramel; stir to combine. Let cool 5 minutes. Place chocolate in the bowl of an electric mixer and pour caramel sauce over chocolate. Let sit 1 minute before stirring from the center until chocolate is melted.

 

Attach bowl to electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low until the bowl feels cool to the touch. Add butter and increase speed to medium-high until mixture is well combined, thickened, and slightly whipped, about 2 minutes.