if you crave it | Sweet & Savory Recipes

Steps

1Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x9-inch pan.
2Whisk 400g (2 cups) sugar, 220g (1¾ cups) flour, 65g (¾ cup) cocoa powder, 1½ tsp baking powder, 1½ tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp salt together in a large bowl.
3Add 2 eggs, 1 cup (240g) buttermilk, ½ cup (100g) oil, and 2 tsp vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
4Stir in 1 cup (240g) hot coffee. The batter will be thin — that's normal.
5Bake for 30–35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
6Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

7Warm 200ml (about ¾ cup) heavy cream in a small saucepan until it just simmers, then take it off the heat.
8Melt 150g (¾ cup) sugar in a separate saucepan over medium heat until it's a dark coppery brown. Go darker than feels safe — it needs that intensity against the chocolate.
9Add 15g (1 tbsp) butter and a pinch of salt and swirl to combine.
10Pour in half the warm cream. It will bubble up hard, so let it settle before adding the rest.
11Pour into a bowl, cool for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
12Whip with a hand mixer on medium-high until pale and holding soft peaks.

13Combine 230g (about 1⅓ cups) dark chocolate and 180ml (¾ cup) heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl.
14Microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring between each, until fully melted and smooth.
15Let sit until thick but still spreadable.

16Slice the cooled cake layer into even rectangles by slicing it crosswise and lengthwise. You'll have 4 slices in total. You can choose to use all 4 slices, or just 3.
17Spread a thin layer of the ganache and half of the whipped caramel over the first layer.
18Repeat with the next layer.
19Top with the final layer and cover the top and sides with the remaining ganache.
20Chill until set, then let it come back to room temperature before serving.