To Make the Cake:  

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.  An oven thermometer will help you reach the right oven temperature; our ovens are often off, and that makes a huge difference!
2. Sift all-purpose flour, baking soda, and kosher salt into a medium bowl.  Set aside.
3. Add butter and cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl.  Mix until it is completely smooth and combined.
4. Add granulated sugar and dark brown sugar and cream until light and fluffy.  Take your time with this step, and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.  (Not sure what properly creamed fat and sugar should look like?  Take a look here!)
5. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until each egg is completely incorporated.  Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
6. Add the vanilla extract and mix until completely incorporated.
7. Add half of the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated.
8. Add all of the sour cream and mix until just incorporated. 
9. Add the other half of the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated.  Give the batter several turns with a stiff spatula.
10. Gently fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula, mixing only until they are well distributed in the cake batter.
11. Prepare the bundt pan (I use the butter/flour method, and you can see how to do that right here!).  
12. Add the batter to the pan.
13. Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer reads 210°F-215°F.  My Goldilocks temp is 212°F. 
14. Remove from the oven and allow to place on a cooling rack, in its pan, for ten minutes.  Place a piece of parchment paper under the cooling rack!
15. After ten minutes, invert the cake onto the cooling rack. 

To Make the Vanilla Simple Syrup:

1. Add the water, granulated sugar, and fine sea salt to a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil and boil just until all of the solids are dissolved.  Remove from the heat.
2. Add the vanilla extract and stir to combine.
3. Brush on the cake after inverting it onto the cooling rack.  Allow the cake to cool completely.  (3-5 hours)

To Make the Chocolate Ganache:

1. Place the chocolate chips in a heat-proof bowl.  Set aside.
2. Place the heavy cream in a heat-proof measuring cup (like this one!) and heat in a microwave until just before it starts to boil (45-75 seconds, depending on the microwave).
3. Pour the heavy cream over the chocolate chips and cover with plastic wrap.  Do not stir yet!
4. Allow the heavy cream to melt the chocolate for 5 minutes.  Stir with a small whisk or spoon to combine.  If the chocolate does not melt completely, place in the microwave at 10-second intervals, stirring in between intervals, until the mixture is completely smooth.
5. Allow the ganache to cool only slightly (2-4 minutes) before using.  If you wait too long, the ganache will thicken and will not pour easily over the cake.
6. Pour the ganache over the cake using a spouted measuring cup, a squeeze bottle, or a spoon.

To Make the Stabilized Whipped Cream:

1. Place the gelatin in the 4 tsp of water.  Stir to combine completely.  Microwave for 15 seconds ONLY.  Set aside.
2. Place cold heavy cream and confectioner’s sugar into a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer.  Stir gently until the confectioner’s sugar is completely covered in heavy cream.
3. Mix at a medium pace with a ballon whisk or in the bowl of your mixer for 1-2 minutes, or until very soft peaks form.
4. Add the gelatin/water mixture to the soft peaks and continue mixing on high speed (or keep working that balloon whisk!) for another 30-40 seconds.
5. Pipe onto your cake and enjoy!