There's nothing better than a rich, creamy chocolate ganache. Or is there? For all you caramel lovers out there, imagine chocolate ganache plus salted caramel all wrapped together into one decadent dessert. Yum...
Chocolate Ganache Fleur de Sel
For the caramel:
1 cup sugar
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
½ cup heavy whipping cream
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, diced
¼ cup crème fraîche or sour cream
½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Large pinch of fine fleur de sel* plus additional for assembly
For the ganache:
1½ pounds good quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 cups heavy whipping cream
For the cake:
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for dusting cake pans
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup hot water
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1¼ cups unsalted almonds, toasted, coarsely chopped
To make the caramel, stir sugar, water, and corn syrup in deep medium saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium; cover pan and cook 4 minutes. Uncover; increase heat to high. Boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber, occasionally brushing down pan sides with wet pastry brush, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cream (mixture will bubble). Whisk in butter, crème fraîche, lemon juice, and pinch of fleur de sel. Cool completely. Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover; chill. Bring to room temperature before using.
To make the ganache, place chocolate in large bowl along with the corn syrup. Bring cream to simmer in a medium saucepan. Pour cream over chocolate; let soften 1 minute. Whisk until chocolate is smooth. Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover; chill if not using right away. Bring to room temperature before using. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line the bottom of three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with parchment paper; butter paper and dust pan with coco powder and set aside.
Sift sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the bowl of a freestanding mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add milk, eggs, melted butter and vanilla and beat at low speed until blended, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Stir 1 cup hot water and espresso powder in small bowl to dissolve. Add to batter; beat until blended (batter will be thin). Divide batter evenly among the prepared pans. Bake cakes until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 10 minutes. Cut around cakes; turn out onto racks. Peel off parchment and cool completely.
To assemble, place 1 layer on platter or cake pedestal; using an offset spatula spread on ½ cup room-temperature ganache. Spoon 3/4 cup ganache into pastry bag fitted with ¼-inch plain round tip and pipe a ring of ganache around edge of layer. Spread ¼ cup room-temperature caramel filling evenly inside ring. Sprinkle caramel with large pinch of fleur de sel and 1 tablespoon almonds. Top with second cake layer, and repeat with ganache, caramel fleur de sel and almonds. Top with third cake layer and spread remaining ganache over top and sides of cake and sprinkle the top with another large pinch of fleur de sel. Press remaining almonds onto sides of cake. Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover with cake dome and chill. Let cake stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.
*A type of hand harvested sea salt; available at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.
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