SWEET AND SALTY CAKE

Steps:

• CAKE: Preheat oven to 325°. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans. Combine cocoa powder, hot water, and sour cream. Sift flour, baking power, baking soda, and salt together. Beat butter and shortening on medium speed, 5 minutes. Add both sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs. Add vanilla and mix well. Add flour mixture, alternating with cocoa mixture, in three portions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Bake 35-40 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes. CARAMEL: In a small saucepan, combine cream and fleur de sel. Bring to a simmer over very low heat until salt has dissolved. In a medium saucepan, combine water, sugar, and corn syrup, stirring carefully. Cook over high heat about 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 1 minute. Add cream mixture to sugar mixture. Whisk in sour cream. Let caramel cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until time to assemble the cake. GANCHE: Put the chocolate in a bowl and set aside. Bring the cream to a simmer over very low heat. In a medium saucepan, combine water, sugar, and corn syrup, stirring carefully. Cook over high heat for 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat and let caramel cool for 1 minute. Add cream to the caramel. Stir slowly for 2 minutes. Then, pour caramel over chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute. Slowly stir in a circle until chocolate is completely melted. Let cool. Mix on low speed until the bowl feels cool to the touch. Increase speed to medium-high and gradually add butter. Beat on high speed until mixture is fluffy. ASSEMBLE: Spread caramel over the top of 1 cake layer. Spread ganache frosting over the caramel. Sprinkle fleur de sel over the frosting. Top with the 2nd cake layer. Spread with frosting and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon fleur de sel. Top with the 3rd cake layer. Spread with caramel. Crumb coat the cake and put in refrigerator for 15 minutes. Frost the sides and top. Garnish with a sprinkle of fleur de sel.