Chocolate Caramel Crunch Cake

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 350°F (180°C). Line three 8- by 2-inch anodized aluminum pans with parchment and grease with pan spray. (The cakes can be baked in 2-inch-deep pans, but they will dome more and rise less.) Prep all your ingredients by measuring or weighing them into individual bowls. Place the chopped chocolate and cocoa in a medium or large bowl. Measure the brown sugar and salt in another bowl. Place the eggs in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Place the flour in a medium bowl and the baking soda in a small prep bowl. Combine butter and coffee in a 4-quart stainless steel pot over low heat. Once melted, remove from heat, then mix in the cocoa and chocolate, followed by the brown sugar, vanilla, and salt. Mix in the eggs, then sift in the flour and add the baking soda. Whisk thoroughly to combine. Divide batter between prepared cake pans, about 23 ounces each. (If you don't have three pans, the remaining batter can be held at room temperature up to 90 minutes, though the rise will not be quite as high.) Bake until cakes are firm but your finger can still leave an impression in the puffy crust, about 30 minutes (a toothpick inserted into the center should come away with a few crumbs still attached). Cool cakes directly in their pans for 20 minutes then run a butter knife around the edges to loosen. Invert onto a wire rack, peel off parchment, and return cakes right side up.

2. Put the chocolate into a small heat-resistant bowl and set aside. Put the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat and stir just until the sugar has dissolved. Let the syrup come to a boil without stirring. Cook the syrup until it turns a dark amber color, about 350 degrees F. Swirl the pan to distribute the color and heat. Once the syrup reaches the desired color, take the pan off the heat and pour in 1/2 cup of the cream. Do this carefully, as the caramel is very hot and will bubble up when you add the cream. Once the bubbling subsides stir in the rest of the cream 1/2 cup of cream, then stir in the butter one tablespoon at a time. Place the pan back over medium heat and stir to combine all the ingredients. Once the ingredients are all incorporated into the caramel, pour it over the chocolate. Swirl the bowl so that the chocolate is completely coated with the warm caramel, then cover and let sit for 5 minutes. With a whisk, stir the mixture slowly, starting with small circles in the middle and working your way outward, whisking a bit more briskly as you go, until you have a smooth, glossy frosting. Leave the ganache on your kitchen counter until it reaches spreading consistency, about 2-3 hours. If it stiffens up too much, simply place the bowl over a pan over simmering water for a few seconds and stir until the ganache is soft again. Covered with plastic wrap at room temperature, this frosting keeps for up to 3 days.