Chocolate Griddle with Chocolate Sauce

Ingredients for Sauce:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 7 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), finely chopped

Ingredients for Griddle Cakes:

• 1/2 cup Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 whole large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk
• 3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Unsalted butter for greasing griddle

Instructions for Sauce:

• Bring cream to a boil in a 1-quart saucepan, then pour hot cream over chocolate in a bowl, gently whisking until smooth.
• Keep warm or at room temperature. Next, make griddle cakes.

Instructions for Griddle Cakes:

• Sift together cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl, then whisk in eggs, yolk, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla until combined well.
• Heat a griddle or nonstick skillet over moderately low heat and lightly coat with butter.
• Working in batches of 2 or 3, pour 1/4 cup batter per cake onto hot cast iron griddle and cook until bubbles appear on surface, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Flip cakes with a large spatula and cook until tops spring back when pressed gently, about 1 minute more.
• Transfer to a plate and loosely cover with foil to keep warm.
• Add 1/2 teaspoon butter to griddle between batches.
• Serve cakes in stacks, topped with chocolate sauce.