1 ½ cups Dutch processed cocoa
3 cups all purpose flour
3 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
4 eggs at room temperature
1 ½ cups buttermilk (milk and lemon juice may be substituted)
1 ½ cups freshly brewed coffee
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
Line three 9 inch round cake pans with parchment. Buttering the pans first will keep the parchment in place. Preheat the oven to 350°.
Add 1 tablespoon plus 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice to 1 ½ cups lactose free whole milk and let sit for 10 minutes.
In a large bowl of an electric mixer on the lowest speed combine the cocoa, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt using the whisk attachment. Add the eggs, milk, coffee, oil and vanilla. Increase the speed to medium and whisk for a few minutes until smooth.
Divide the batter evenly between the 3 prepared pans. Bake for 35 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool the layers on a wire rack for 15 minutes then turn the layers out of the pans onto the rack to cool completely.
Once cooled completely cut off any domes that formed on top so that the layers are flat. Divide each layer in half to form 6 layers.
To assemble the cake place one layer on the cake plate and top with caramel. Repeat with the remaining layers. Instead of caramel on the top layer frost with ganache. Spread ganache around the sides too if desired.
Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Salted Caramel Six Layer Chocolate Cake.