Now that you have all the ingredients, let's get started on making this amazing dessert:

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8-inch round cake pan with butter or cooking spray and dust it with cocoa powder.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, using an electric mixer. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.

Gradually mix in the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, until everything is well combined.

Slowly pour in the hot water, while stirring constantly, until the batter is smooth and well mixed.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth out the surface with a spatula.

Bake the cake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes.

Run a knife around the edge of the cake pan to loosen the cake, then invert it onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Once the cake is cool, place it on a serving plate, and top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Drizzle some caramel sauce over the ice cream and cake, and sprinkle some chocolate shavings on top.

Serve and enjoy your homemade Red Lobster Chocolate Wave Cake!