CHOCOLATE DECADENCE CAKE

"[Photograph: @sstiavetti] This is a relatively simple chocolate cake to make, though it does have a few different moving parts: the chocolate sponge, two layers of chocolate buttercream, an exterior layer of vanilla buttercream, and then a slathering of chocolate ganache over the top, like a deep, sugary halo. If you have basic baking skills, you should be able to pull this cake off with aplomb. You can even prepare the buttercream the day before to lessen the load of the day you put it together, and it keeps well for another few days so you can make the whole thing one or two days before its grand entrance. As far as chocolate cakes go, this one is the ultimate in decadence, hence its name. The moist cake is hugged tightly by smooth buttercream, and thick blanket of ganache on top seals the goodness in with a kiss. There's no escaping this cake, so don't even try. About the author: Stephanie Stiavetti is a writer and cookbook author in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her food blog, The Culinary Life, is a repository for all things comfort food related, from savory dinners to transcendental desserts. She publishes a monthly culinary newsletter full of stories, review, and helpful tips, and teaches home bakers how to make gourmet desserts in her online pastry classes. Every recipe we publish is tested, tasted, and Serious Eats-approved by our staff. Never miss a recipe again by following @SeriousRecipes on Twitter!..."