Devilishly Good Chocolate Cake with Ganache My GoTo

Instructions:

1. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract.
4. Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined.
5. Carefully add the boiling water (mixed with espresso powder, if using) to the batter and mix on low speed until smooth. The batter will be thin – don't panic!
6. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Place the finely chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
9. In a saucepan, heat the heavy cream over medium heat until it just begins to simmer (bubbles forming around the edges).
10. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let it sit for 1 minute to soften the chocolate.
11. Gently whisk the cream and chocolate together until completely smooth and glossy.
12. Stir in the softened butter, corn syrup (if using), and a pinch of salt.
13. Let the ganache cool at room temperature for about 1-2 hours, or until it has thickened to a spreadable consistency. You want it to be like thick peanut butter.
14. Level the cake layers if necessary. Place one cake layer on a serving plate or cake stand.
15. Spread half of the ganache evenly over the first cake layer. Top with the second cake layer.
16. Frost the entire cake with the remaining ganache.
17. For a firmer ganache, chill the cake for at least 30 minutes before serving. This will make for a cleaner cut.