Ingredients
Chocolate Fudge Cake
200g butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 cup Dutch processed cocoa
1 cup hot water
1 1/2 cups milk
3 teaspoons vinegar
1 1/2 cups plain cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons bicarbonate soda
Salted Caramel
1 cup caster sugar
1 cup brown sugar
180g butter
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt flakes
Dark Chocolate Ganache
300g dark chocolate
350ml heavy cream
Salted Caramel Butter
Chocolate Fudge Cake
Preheat oven to 180°C
Grease, flour and line, with baking paper, two 20cm/8 inch cake pans
In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.
Add eggs, beating after each addition until incorporated.
Add cocoa to a separate bowl and add hot water, a little at a time until it forms a thick paste.
Add gradually to butter mixture.
Add vinegar to milk to sour.
Sift together flour, baking powder and bicarbonate in a separate bowl.
Add the flour to the butter mixture in three lots, alternately with milk, starting and ending with the flour.
Fold the batter til fully incorporated.
Pour 1/4 of the batter into each of the tins and bake for 23 mins.
Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes in the tins, then turn out to cool on a cooling rack.
Bake the remaining batter in the re-prepared tins.
Salted Caramel
Add sugars to a heavy bottomed sauce pan, stirring occasionally, until the sugars melt and becomes smooth.
Add the butter and whisk until the butter is melted and stirred through.
Remove from the heat and slowly pour in the heavy cream.
Return to the heat and allow the mixture to boil for 1 minute.
Remove from heat and stir in salt.
Allow to cool down before using.
Dark Chocolate Ganache
Melt the chocolate in a large microwave proof bowl in the microwave in 30 second intervals.
Once melted, add cream and stir to combine until smooth.
Allow to cool slightly. Ganache should be pourable but not hot
Salted Caramel Buttercream
cream
375g butter, room temperature
3 cups sifted icing sugar
1 1/2 cups salted caramel