For the Chocolate Cake:

1. Preheat Oven – Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
2. Mix Dry Ingredients – In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Mix Wet Ingredients – In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
4. Combine & Add Coffee – Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, then slowly pour in the hot coffee or water while mixing until smooth.
5. Bake – Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans and bake for 22–25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cakes cool completely before assembling.

For the Caramel-Pecan Filling:

1. Melt Sugar – Heat sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until melted and amber-colored.
2. Add Butter & Cream – Carefully stir in butter (it will bubble), then slowly pour in heavy cream while stirring. Cook for 1–2 minutes until smooth.
3. Stir in Pecans – Remove from heat, stir in salt and chopped pecans. Let cool slightly before using.

For the Chocolate Ganache:

1. Heat Cream – In a small saucepan, heat heavy cream until just simmering.
2. Melt Chocolate – Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate in a bowl. Let sit for 2 minutes, then stir until smooth.

Assembling the Cake:

1. Layer the Cake – Place the first cake layer on a serving plate. Spread half of the caramel-pecan filling over it.
2. Repeat Layers – Add the second cake layer and spread the remaining caramel-pecan filling. Place the final cake layer on top.
3. Frost with Ganache – Spread a thin crumb coat of ganache over the cake and chill for 10 minutes. Then, fully frost the cake with ganache.
4. Decorate – Drizzle caramel sauce over the top, then sprinkle with chopped pecans. For extra indulgence, drizzle additional ganache on top.
5. Chill & Serve – Refrigerate for 30 minutes before slicing to set the layers.