Dark Chocolate Cake

My first "custom order!" A colleague of Alex's asked me to make her husband a birthday cake, or rather, a very chocolate cake. I was excited, if not a bit nervous, to make my first cake for a client. I chose a tri-layer cake with two layers that were a dark chocolate-espresso and a middle layer of a lighter standard chocolate cake. Filling I went with a salted caramel chocolate ganache (thanks to Pierre Hermes) And the covered with the same ganache-whipped into a frosting. Simple, rich, and a pound of valrhona dark chocolate. I'm quite happy with it! Plus, this frosting ended up being one of the best I've ever used, and definitely saving for future use!

Chocolate caramel ganache [Pierre Hermes]

6 ½ ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

4 ½ ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped

combine chocolate in a heat proof bowl and set aside

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 ½ tbsp salted butter

1 cup plus 2 tbsp whipping cream

1 ½ cups unsalted butter(3 sticks)

Put one third of sugar in the bottom of heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. When it starts to melt, stir with wooden spoon. Once completely melted, add another third of the sugar. Once that is melted, add the last third of sugar. Cook till amber color reached(be careful it does not burn). Add butter-careful it will foam up. Once butter is combined, add the cream. Bring the cream to a boil. Pour half of this over the chocolate and stir until smooth(the small the chocolate is chopped, the faster it will combine). Once smooth, add the rest of the cream and stir until smooth.

While the chocolate mixture cools, take the room temperature butter and with either the mixer on low speed(paddle) or with a rubber spoon, soften until it looks like mayonnaise (buerre en pomade)

Gently stir the butter into the chocolate with a rubber spatula. Stir until the mixture is smooth

*or whip to make frosting*

Let sit for an hour or so, stirring occasionally until spreadable consistency.