Chocolate Praline Cake

Cake
1 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup cocoa
1 cup water
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Chocolate Ganache
1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate morsels
1/3 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup butter or margarine, cut into pieces

Praline Frosting
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Garnish
Pecan halves

Cake

1. Cook butter, cocoa, and water in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until butter melts and mixture is smooth; remove butter mixture from heat.
2. Beat buttermilk, 2 eggs, baking soda, and vanilla at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add butter mixture to buttermilk mixture, beating until well blended.
3. Combine sugar, flour, and salt; gradually add to buttermilk mixture, beating until blended.
4. Coat 3 (9-inch) round cakepans with cooking spray, and line pans with wax paper. Pour cake batter evenly into pans.
5. Bake at 350° for 18 to 22 minutes or until cake is set. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.
6. Spread about 1/2 cup Chocolate Ganache between cake layers, and spread remaining ganache on sides of cake.
7. Pour Praline Frosting slowly over the center of cake, gently spreading to edges, allowing some frosting to run over sides. Freeze, if desired; thaw at room temperature 4 to 6 hours.
8. Garnish with pecan halves, if desired.

Chocolate Ganache

1. Microwave chocolate morsels and whipping cream in a glass bowl at MEDIUM (50% power) 2 to 3 minutes or until morsels are melted.
2. Whisk until smooth. Gradually add butter, whisking until smooth.
3. Cool, whisking often, 15 minutes or until spreading consistency.

Praline Frosting

1. Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, and boil 1 minute.
2. Remove from heat, and whisk in 1 cup powdered sugar and vanilla extract until smooth.
3. Stir in toasted pecans, stirring gently 3 to 5 minutes or until mixture begins to cool and thicken slightly.
4. Pour immediately over cake.

This sinfully decadent chocolate praline cake recipe was given to me by my dear friend Glenn Allen-Wade. There are a lot of steps, but the end result is so worth it! Try decorating the cake with leaves made from Chocolate Modeling Clay for an extra fancy presentation.