Nut Cake

For cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 9-inch cake pans. Sift together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time; stir in vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, mixing just until incorporated. Fold in nuts. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool. Remove from pans. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

For ganache: Place the chocolate in a medium-size stainless steel bowl. Set aside. Heat the cream and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir with a whisk until smooth. Allow the ganache to set until spreadable. Spread ganache cooled cake layers. Brush any loose crumbs from the cake. Using a cake spatula, cover the top of the bottom two layers with ganache. Refrigerate.

For Chantilly cream: Combine all ingredients and whip with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Cover sides and top of cake with whipped cream. Refrigerate until serving.