Chocolate Fudge and Salted Caramel Layer Cake

It's probably very uncool of me to brag about my sons, but I'm going to anyway. My boys have recently returned home from Western Australia where they represented Victoria in the Australian Junior Beach Volleyball Championships.  Not only did they deserve a massive chocolate cake to come home to after a huge week of competition, but it was Joeys birthday the day before they left and I didn't get a chance to make him a birthday cake.  This epic cake says "Congratulations, Welcome Home, Happy Birthday and I Love You".  I hope they got the message.

Chocolate Fudge and Salted Caramel Layer Cake

slightly adapted from here

For the Cake:

250g unsalted butter, chopped

300g dark chocolate (70%), chopped

2 tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted

125ml buttermilk

6 eggs

220g caster sugar

85g light brown sugar

150g plain flour

For the Salted Caramel:

125ml cream

60g unsalted butter

220g caster sugar

80m water

1/4 teaspoon sea salt flakes

For the Whipped Chocolate Ganache:

430ml cream

300g dark chocolate (70%), chopped

300g milk chocolate, chopped

Black salt for sprinkling

Make the Cake:

Preheat the oven to 160°C.  Grease 2 x 20cm cake pans with cooking oil spray and line the base and sides with baking paper.  Set aside.

Put the butter and chocolate into a medium saucepan over low heat and stir until melted.  Remove from the heat, add the cocoa powder and milk and stir to combine.  Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the eggs and both sugars for about 15 minutes, or until they have tripled in volume.  Add the chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined.  Reduce to the speed to low, add the flour and whisk until just combined.

Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans and bake for 30 - 35 minutes, or until they feel set in the middle when gently pressed with a finger.  Allow to cool completely in the pans, then refrigerate for an hour before removing from the pans.

Make the Salted Caramel:

Put the cream and butter into a small saucepan and bring to the boil.  Remove from the heat and set aside.

Put the sugar and water into a separate medium saucepan and place over high heat.  Cook, stirring with a metal spoon until just starting to boil.  Stop stirring (and don't stir again until you add the butter mixture), and continue cooking until the temperature reaches 180°C on a sugar thermometer. The mixture should be a golden brown at this point. Remove from the heat and quickly add the butter mixture and a thin stream, stirring continuously.

Put the pan back on a low heat and cook for 5 minutes or until the caramel has thickened slightly. Remove from the heat, add the salt and stir to combine.  Set aside.

Make the Whipped Chocolate Ganache:

Put the chocolate into a heatproof bowl.  Set aside.

Put the cream into a saucepan and heat over medium heat until it is just below boiling point.  Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and leave for 2 minutes.  Stir until smooth.

Place the ganache over a bowl of iced water.  Whisk gently for 3 - 5 minutes or until slightly thickened to a spreadable consistency.

Assemble the Cake:

Use a serrated knife to cut the cakes in half horizontally.  Place a base layer of cake, cut-side up, onto a cake plate.  Spread with a quarter of the ganache and drizzle with a third of the salted caramel. Repeat twice more and top with the final layer of cake, cut-side down.  Spread the remaining ganache onto the top of the cake and sprinkle with black salt.