It doesn’t get any better than this Buttermilk Chocolate Cake: made with four thin layers of buttermilk chocolate cake soaked in caramel sauce and enrobed in dark chocolate ganache.
Yesterday, I woke up really early and made this buttermilk chocolate cake because I knew the kind of day I was going to have.
Often, I wish I could hire my own personal tech team. I dream about the hours I could save, the frustration and headache I could avoid. But alas, The Little Epicurean is a company of one (and two pups).
Buttermilk Chocolate Cake
During stressful moments, this chocolate buttermilk cake is a welcome breathe of fresh air. Chocolate has this calming effect that puts me in a good mood, regardless of the situation.
This showstopper of a dessert consists of four layers of buttermilk chocolate soaked in caramel sauce and frosted with dark chocolate ganache. It’s finished a drizzle of more caramel and a sprinkling of sea salt flakes.
It’s how every chocolate cake should taste- rich, decadent, and oh so satisfying.
Two Ingredient Chocolate Ganache Frosting:
Chocolate ganache is a simple mixture of chocolate and heavy cream. Simmering heavy cream is poured over chopped chocolate, providing just enough heat to melt the chocolate.
With constant stirring, the mixture will become smooth and homogenous. At this point, the ganache will still be rather warm. The ganache is allowed to cool until it has thickened to frosting consistency.
To prevent the buttermilk chocolate cake from drying out, there’s about two tablespoons of caramel sauce soaked between the layers. That same caramel is then poured over the edges of the ganache enrobed cake.
Buttermilk Chocolate Cake with Caramel and Ganache
Ingredients
Buttermilk Chocolate Cake:
- 1 ½ cup cake flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, , room temp
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg white
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
Chocolate Ganache:
- 5 oz dark chocolate (72%),, roughly chopped*
- ¾ cup heavy cream
Caramel Sauce:*
- ¾ cup + 2 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
- ½ cup heavy cream,, heated
- ¾ cup unsalted butter,, cut into tablespoons
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 6-inch cake pans and line bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Sift together cake flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter on medium speed. Slowly add sugar. Continue to mix, scraping down bowl as needed to ensure throughout creaming. Add eggs one at time, mixing on low speed. Add egg white and vanilla extract.
- Add ⅓ of dry flour mixture and mix on low speed. Add ½ of buttermilk and mix until incorporated. Follow with another ⅓ of flour, then remaining buttermilk. Finish with last ⅓ of flour mixture. Mix on low speed until there are no longer any dry streaks of flour.
- Divide batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 40-45 minutes until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Unmold the cake and set on a wire rack to cool to room temperature.
Chocolate Ganache:
- Place chopped chocolate in a large bowl. Bring heavy cream to a simmer. Pour hot cream over chopped chocolate and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let sit for 3 minutes. Remove plastic wrap and stir ganache until homogenous. Cover with plastic wrap, allowing plastic wrap to touch chocolate to prevent condensation. Every 30 minutes, stir ganache until it has thickened to frosting consistency (about 2 hours).
Caramel Sauce:
- Melt sugar and water in a heavy bottomed sauce pot on high heat. Lower heat and allow sugar syrup to color. Remove from heat once syrup is aromatic and amber in color.
- Warm up heavy cream in the microwave for 45 seconds. Add about 1/3 of warm cream to sugar syrup and whisk. BE CAREFUL as the mixture will bubble and steam. Add the remaining warm cream and whisk until mixture has slightly cooled. Add butter and salt. Whisk until mixture is homogenized.
- Let cool to room temperature. Once cooled, sauce will thicken. To speed up the process, you can also place caramel in the fridge to cool faster.
Assembly:
- Once cake is cooled, slice each cake into two equal slices. To build the cake, place one layer on a serving platter. Pour between 1 ½ tablespoon to 2 tablespoons of caramel over the layer. Spread evenly.
- Place another cake layer on top and repeat until you have the fourth cake layer on top.
- Spread thickened chocolate ganache all over the cake. Pour remaining caramel sauce over the edges of the cake. Sprinkle Maldon sea salt over caramel, as desired.
Notes
- Use good quality chocolate, not chocolate chips or chocolate candy bars.
- Good quality store-bought caramel sauce is a perfect alternative
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Ugh, I do feel your pain. I was just telling a friend of mine that I wish I could afford to hire a “team”. At least you had this cake waiting for you afterwards. I’m sure each bite was a soothing piece of relaxation.
Wow… if this tastes even an EIGHT as good as it looks then it would still be the most amazing cake ever. Stunning presentation and photos! Love the flavors :)
Oh, this cake is beautiful! I’m drooling just looking at it, and I already ate dinner (and dessert!).
Computer problems make me go nuts too – but if I had this chocolate cake every time I had computer problems, I may just start to look forward to a few hiccups here and there ;)
I hear ya, sista! Blog/computer woes are my nemesis and one of the (more than I’m willing to admit) things that drive me to frustrated tears. Good thing there’s chocolate cake to heal life’s little nuisances! And THIS one is beyond gorgeous! I so want to reach through the screen and stick my finger in that caramel!!!
Oh, I am quite familiar with tears of frustration. I hate no understanding how to do something. It drives me crazy and I spent too much time trying to figure it out!
Thank you! I wish I could share a slice with you!
Oh my gosh computer/techie problems are the worst. They make me feel so dumb. I get super stressed about them. Cake seems like a pretty good way to make you feel better! This looks FAB!
YES they are the worst! I’m hoping to learn more this year so I can stay on top the game! Thank you Liz!! :)
You always make some of the most beautiful cakes! This is stunning! I am sure all the stress will go away after a slice of this incredibly rich chocolate cake. Glad you have figured out the email thing. ;)
Aw, thank you SO much!! Chocolate and a glass of red wine does wonders for my stress ;)
Would it be totally wrong if I ate the entire thing on my own? Because I really can’t imagine sharing such a gorgeous cake!
Absolutely not! (As long as you make another cake to share with others.) Thanks Nazia!
This cake looks INSANELY delicious, girl!
Thanks Tina! Desperate times call for desperate measures! lol
Oh my I can feel my waistband tighten as I read the recipe. It looks so delicious….all my favorite flavors ! I bet if I made it, I would hide it in a closet and eat the whole thing in 4 hours…..that’s even with trying to pace myself. It’s beautiful.
Thank you so much Judy! If you make it, invite me over so I can help you finish it! :)
This cake is my dream cake!!!
Thanks Jocelyn! It sure tastes like a dream ;)