Ingredients
Cake:
1 cup plus 2 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup boiling water
1 cup whole milk
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 1/4 cup all purpose floud
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/3 cups sugar
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
Frosting:
2 cups heavy whipping creak
6 T dark corn syrup
24 oz high quality milk chocolate, finely chopped
pinch of salt
Preparation
FOR CAKE: Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour 2 9-inch diameter cake pans with 2 inch high sides. Place cocoa in small bowl. Add 1 cup boiling water; whisk until smooth. Cool. Combine milk & lemon juice in another small bowl. Let stand until milk forms some thick curds, about 10 minutes. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt into medium bowl.
Using mixer, beat butter until smooth. Add sugars and beat until blended. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in cocoa mixture and vanilla. Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternately with milk mixture in 2 additions. Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake until tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks. Cut around cakes to loosen & turn out of pans.
For frosting: Bring cream and corn syrup to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and salt; stir until meltec and smooth. Refrigerate until cold, about 25 minutes. Using mixer, beat frosting until just lighter in color, about 1 minute. ****This thickens very quickly, so don’t overbeat.
Assembly: Place 1 cake layer flat side up, on plate. Spread with 2 cups frosting. Top with second cake layer, flat side down. Spread remaining frosting thickly over top and sides of cake.
