Ghost Chili Honey Cake

adapted from Silk Road Diary

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp kosher salt

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup ghost chili infused honey (instructions below)

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Filling

1 cup Seville orange marmalade

Frosting

10 oz chocolate, chopped

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup ghost chili infused honey

Ghost Chili Infused Honey

Heat one cup of honey in a small pan over a low heat. Make a small slit in three ghost chili pods. Submerge them in the honey.

Steep the chiles for 30 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Pour the honey and chiles into a container and set aside.

Cake

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Prepare a 9-inch cake pan by spraying or greasing. Cut a piece of parchment to cover the bottom of the pan.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder in a small bowl and set aside. In the bowl of your mixer, mix together the sugar, infused honey, eggs and vanilla, until blended. Add the vegetable oil, then half of the flour mixture. Mix until blended. Add all of the buttermilk and mix until just blended. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix until incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake the cake about 55 minutes or until your cake tester comes out clean. The cake will have a slight "dome". Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then, invert onto a cooling rack to finish cooling. Remove the parchment.

Frosting

Fill a double boiler halfway up with water and heat on medium high. (Or, use a saucepan and put a glass bowl on it to make a double boiler.)

Put the chocolate in the top of the double boiler or in the bowl. Stir until almost melted. Set the bowl aside. Empty the bottom/saucepan. Pour in the remaining half cup of infused honey and the cream. Bring to a boil, then pout over the melting chocolate and stir until smooth. Let it cool.

Assembly

When the cake has cooled, carefully cut it in half horizontally. Place the bottom of the cake onto a cake dish. Spread the marmalade over the cake bottom, being careful not to spread it all the way to the edge. Place the other half of the cake on top of the filling and gently press down.

Frost the cake using an offset spatula. After putting the frosting on the cake, it may be smoothed out using a clean knife that has been dipped into hot water. The warm knife will smooth out the frosting.

NOTE: If you desire a spicier cake, 1/4 teaspoon of ghost chile flakes may be added to the batter or the frosting.