This is my father-in-law's favorite cake. This recipe yields a light, fluffy, and moist chocolate cake that springs up on your plate under a generous layer of rich caramel icing. Serve with a tall glass of milk.
Whisk together eggs, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl.
288g / 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped into pieces or in chips
12 tablespoons butter (1 ½ sticks)
In a separate microwave safe bowl, heat chocolate and butter at half power until melted, about 3 minutes. Stir until smooth and whisk into bowl with creamed egg mixture.
1 cup buttermilk
½ teaspoon baking soda
Add buttermilk and baking soda and whisk until combined.
186g / 1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
60g / ¾ cup cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon salt
Sift flour, cocoa powder, and salt together in medium bowl and add to wet ingredients. Whisk until smooth and glossy.
Pour batter into greased pan and bake at 325°F until center firms up and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack, at least 1 hour.
Caramel Icing
384g / 2 cups brown sugar
1 cup heavy cream
In a small saucepan, whisk together brown sugar and heavy cream until sugar has completely dissolved.
Cover and cook over medium heat until just starting to steam to ensure that sugar has completely dissolved.
Uncover and cook without stirring until sauce reaches 238°F to 240°F on an instant read thermometer.
3 tablespoons butter
Remove from heat and add butter, stirring to combine.
Let rest on the counter until reaches 110°F on an instant read thermometer, about 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Generously grease a 13x9 baking pan with butter and set aside.
Whisk together eggs, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl.
In a separate microwave safe bowl, heat chocolate and butter at half power until melted, about 3 minutes. Stir until smooth and whisk into bowl with creamed egg mixture.
Add buttermilk and baking soda and whisk until combined.
Sift flour, cocoa powder, and salt together in medium bowl and add to wet ingredients. Whisk until smooth and glossy.
Pour batter into greased pan and bake at 325°F until center firms up and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack, at least 1 hour.
In a small saucepan, whisk together brown sugar and heavy cream until sugar has completely dissolved.
Cover and cook over medium heat until just starting to steam to ensure that sugar has completely dissolved.
Uncover and cook without stirring until sauce reaches 238°F to 240°F on an instant read thermometer.
Remove from heat and add butter, stirring to combine.
Let rest on the counter until reaches 110°F on an instant read thermometer, about 20 minutes.
Add vanilla and whisk, beating the icing until it is thick and creamy. If it becomes to thick, thin it with 1 teaspoon of heavy cream.
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