Chocolate Buttermilk Cake

This cake is from watching Julia Childs - Lessons with Master Chefs and the Master Chef is Jim Dodge. The recipe is easy to follow and the cake turned out wonderful , really very delicious and everyone's favorite.



Ingredients:
For the Cake:
1/2 cup buttermilk

4 ozs butter - cut into small pieces

1/3 cup dutch-processed cocoa powder

1 cup sugar (1/2 cup for mixing with the cocoa powder and 1/2 cup for whisking egg whites)(for friends in The Mile High City of Denver - take away 1 tbsp)

1 tsp baking soda(for friendds in The Mile High City of Denver - use only 3/4 tsp)

5 large eggs separated

1 cup cake flour (for friends in The Mile High City of Denver, add 2 tbsp flour)

1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Chocolate Fudge:

1 1/2 cups sugar(i would like to suggest 1 1/4 cups)

2/3 cups water

1/4 cup corn syrup

8 ozs chilled butter - cut into 1/2 inch pieces

4 ozs buttersweet chocolate

1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

For the cake:

Preheat oven at 325f and grease 2 - 8 inch bottom lined cake pans - dust with flour.

Melt buttermilk and butter at very low heat - 100 f.

Mix cocoa powder with the sugar, stir to break up the cocoa powder, then add in the baking soda.

Pour the hot buttermilk/butter mixture and stir to melt the sugar.

Whisk egg whites on high speed and when it is foamy, add in the sugar at the side of mixer bowl and whisk till MORE than SOFT PEAKS.

Add vanilla extract and the lightly beatened egg yolks to the Cocoa/buttermilk mixture .

Add in the flour and stir with a whisk to combine.

With a large spatula, fold in the egg whites (wrap the bottom and tap the spatula to loosen the mixture that is stuck to it)

Divide the batter into the 2 prepared cake pans and bake for 30 mins.

Check for doneness.

Remove from oven and leave in cake pan for 5 mins before removing the cake pan. Leave cake to cool on rack.

For the Chocolate Fudge:

Mix the sugar, water and corn syrup in a large bowl and give it a good whisking before transfering mixture into saucepan.(for friends in Denver, cover the saucepan, let sugar come to a boil for a few minutes before removing lid)

Cook on medium heat until sugar reaches 235f =, by now it should have less big bubbles and a tinge of yellow.

Pour hot sugar into a mixer bowl and Whip on high to cool slightly.

Add in 1 piece chilled butter at the time - the chill butter will cool mixture.

Melt chocolate in the microwave and stir to melt.

Add melted chocolate to butter/sugar mixture, then add vanilla extract.

Stir to combine and fudge is ready.

To assemble the cake:

Slice the cakes into halves.

Place one slice of cake on a cake platter and top with 3 - 4 tbsp of fudge. Spread fudge to the edge of cake and top with another slice.

Repeat process and on the last slice, pour all the fudge on top and spread to edge and sides.

Serves