| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 2 hr 55 min |
| Active: | 1 hr |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 2 hr 55 min |
| Active: | 1 hr |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter, plus more for buttering the pan
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 2 heaping tablespoons cocoa, plus more for dusting
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch round cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper and butter again. Dust with flour/cocoa.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the cocoa. Add the boiling water and allow the mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off the heat. Add the flour mixture and stir lightly to cool.
- In a measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, baking soda, vanilla and egg. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove the cake from the pan and let cool.
- For the pudding: While the cake is baking, make the pudding. In a medium pot over medium heat, add 1/2 cup sugar. Melt the sugar, swirling the pot occasionally. When the sugar gets to a medium amber color, remove from the heat. (Keep your eye on this as it can go to burnt very quickly.)
- Whisk together the cornstarch, salt, 1 cup milk and the remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Slowly and carefully stir this mixture into the hot sugar. Return the pot to medium-low heat and stir until the caramel is all melted and smooth. Whisk together the egg yolks and remaining 1/2 cup milk in a small bowl and stir that into the pot. Cook until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla. Strain into a bowl to remove any lumps. Press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface of the pudding. Let cool, then refrigerate.
- To finish: Cut the cake in half and put the bottom piece onto a serving plate. Spread the pudding evenly over this layer. Sprinkle on a little salt and place the top piece over the pudding.
- For the glaze: In a small pot over medium heat, heat the cream but do not let it boil. Add the chocolate and stir until smooth. Stir in the vanilla.
- Pour the glaze over the top so that it drips down the sides of the cake. Let set a few minutes. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 684 |
| Total Fat | 38 g |
| Saturated Fat | 23 g |
| Carbohydrates | 86 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 69 g |
| Protein | 7 g |
| Cholesterol | 153 mg |
| Sodium | 431 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 684 |
| Total Fat | 38 g |
| Saturated Fat | 23 g |
| Carbohydrates | 86 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 69 g |
| Protein | 7 g |
| Cholesterol | 153 mg |
| Sodium | 431 mg |
Reviews
I made this and it turned out great! I had pudding and ganache left over so next time I’ll double the cake part and make two full layers.
I read the comments on the pudding and put in an extra tablespoon of cornstarch. My sugar Carmel broke as well, but I just kept stirring and it all came out well. I did a shortcut and used a box mix for the cake since it sounded like this cake in the recipe is fragile. Makes it faster to make, too. With these changes, this recipe is a keeper.
I love this so much. I misread in which order to mix the milk and egg into the pudding but once the hardened caramelized sugar melts once again into the egg and milk it was fine and tasted great.
Absolutely delicious! My top layer broke apart, but because it was so absolutely delicious it was okay. I don’t think I cooked it long enough. I will make this again. I may make a top layer and a bottom layer rather than cut it in half.
Very delicious
Made this today. Should have read the reviews first. My sugar seized when I added the milk for the pudding. I panicked and threw it away. It did the same thing on the 2nd try, but I stuck with it and it melted beautifully. I halved the chocolate topping and it was the perfect amount for us. This is a delicious recipe!!
I just made this recipe and it was the hardest thing I have made in years. Never again. The sugar carmelized too much and it took forever to get it to melt again. The cake broke up when I tried to put the top layer on and the pudding was thinner than I would like and I followed directions to a T. I really think one should double the recipe and make two cakes, using one on top of the other. I would also add more cornstarch to thicken the pudding more….or make an easier vanilla pudding. As an aside, I am rather like a gourmet cook. Watch the foodnetwork, have a cookbook library and prior to Covid, entertained a lot. Have never had a recipe that was this difficult to get right. First Rhee Drummond I have to give a thumbs down.
I saw this on the show yesterday and had to make it today. It was very easy to make and taste amazing. My husband really like it but said it was pretty rich. I love all your recipes and use them alot in our home.
Saw this the other day and I had to make it. It turned out amazing! So rich and decadent!
It was a lot easier to make than I expected.
Wish I could post the picture of how great it turned out!
I saw this recipe on today’s show, and wow I was enamored! I tried it and our whole family loved it! From my 8 year old cake-hating daughter to my 47 year old not-so-big-on-caramel husband, everyone took this one as a hit to make again! The cake layers were perfect for us, not too much, but not too little, just perfect cake quantity. The pudding center was a pudding, so it was a HIT, and it was salted, which came out perfectly. It wasn’t too sweet because of the salt hint. The chocolate ganache topping was a hit with me and my 9-yr old son, who can eat chocolate chips right out of the bag! This seemed to suit the needs of everyone in my family, it was a dessert that my 8 and 9 year old little chefs can learn to make (I think the pudding will take some practice, but I think they’ll get it with time) and the flavor was certainly a hit! Thanks Ree!