Chocolate cake with cream cheese and caramel

Ingredients:

Chocolate cake

• 110g butter, melted and slightly cooled, plus a little extra for greasing the pan
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus a little extra for dusting the pan
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sour milk, room temperature
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Caramel cream

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, room temperature
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 and 1/4 teaspoons plain gelatin (about half of one 7-gram packet)
• 115 g of cream cheese at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream at room temperature

Chocolate ganache

• 250 g milk chocolate drops or finely chopped milk chocolate bar
• 3/4 cup heavy cream

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C. Grease two 20cm square baking pans with butter and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper with butter and dust with flour, shaking off any excess.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
   
   In another bowl, combine melted butter, sour milk, egg, vanilla, and 1/2 cup water. Add the resulting mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well. Divide the batter between the two pans and smooth the tops.
3. Bake, rotating pans halfway through baking, until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
4. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then invert them onto a wire rack set on a baking sheet. Remove the parchment paper and invert the cakes. Let them cool completely.
5. Making caramel creamHeat 1/2 cup sugar in a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Heat, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the caramel turns a deep amber color, about 4-5 minutes.
   
   Remove the pan from the heat and pour in the heavy cream (the mixture will bubble). When the mixture stops bubbling, add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and salt and stir until completely dissolved. Scrape the caramel into the bowl of a food processor and let it cool completely.
6. In a small bowl, combine the gelatin with 1 tablespoon of cold water and let it bloom for 5 minutes. Microwave the gelatin, stirring, until completely melted, about 10 seconds. Add the gelatin mixture, cream cheese, and sour cream to a food processor and process until smooth.
7. Transfer the caramel cream to a bowl and refrigerate, checking every 5 minutes until it's thick enough to spread, 5 to 15 minutes (but don't let it harden too much). Before assembling the cake, whisk the cream well to give it a light, airy texture. This will give it a more pliable texture.
8. Place one cake layer on a cake stand and pour the caramel cream into the center, spreading it into a thick layer almost to the edges. Place the second cake layer on top, aligning them directly above each other to prevent the cake from leaning to one side. Refrigerate the cake for 1 hour.
9. Meanwhile, prepare the chocolate ganache.In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a gentle simmer, then remove from heat. Add the milk chocolate, gently shaking the saucepan to ensure the chocolate is completely submerged.
   
   Let stand for 3 minutes without heat to allow the chocolate to melt. Then stir the ganache until smooth and chill in the refrigerator until it thickens (like mayonnaise) and is ready to spread on the cake, about 15 minutes (be careful not to let it harden too much).
10. Mix the ganache again and spread it over the top of the cake, spreading it along the top and sides. Refrigerate the cake until the ganache is firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.