Double Chocolate Layer Cake (10″)
Description
The most reviewed recipe on Epicurious was intriguing for me…so even though I thought that this Chocolate Layer Cake would forever be the girls’ birthday cake, the battle is on. I suggest going with your mood, and please keep in mind that this is a BIG cake, but it also stays beautifully fresh for a few days…so many tough decisions – enjoy!
Ingredients
Double Chocolate Layer Cake (10″)
3 oz. semi-sweet Callebaut chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/2 c. hot coffee
3 c. sugar
2 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 c. cocoa
2 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
3 eggs
3/4 c. canola oil
1 1/2 c. buttermilk
1 t. vanilla
Butter 2, 10-inch round cake pans, line them with parchment, butter the parchment and preheat the oven to 300. In a small bowl, combine the chopped chocolate and hot coffee, mix and allow the mixture to stand until the chocolate is melted and it’s smooth when stirred. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt and set it aside.
In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat the eggs until slightly thickened and lemon colored – about 3 minutes, then slowly add in the oil, buttermilk, vanilla and coffee mixture, beating well at the end to make sure it’s all combined. Add the dry mix and beat on medium speed until well combined and then carefully and evenly pour the batter into your 2 prepared pans. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes until the middles bounce back to a light touch – this is a good cake to try the toothpick method on. Cool the cakes completely in their pans on a rack. I made these the day before, wrapped them well and put them in the fridge overnight – if I needed to, I think freezing them would work well.
Ganache Frosting
1 lb. semi-sweet Callebaut chocolate, finely chopped
1 c. whipping cream
2 T. EACH sugar AND corn syrup
1/4 c. butter, room temperature
Instructions
In a medium pot, bring the cream, sugar and corn syrup to a boil over medium-low heat, carefully whisking until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pot from the heat, add in all of the chocolate and continue to whisk until the chocolate has melted, then add in the butter and whisk until the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth. Allow the frosting to cool, stirring occasionally, until it’s a spreadable consistency – you can put it in the fridge, just check it often or it will harden up on you! Tuck wax paper strips under the bottom layer of the cake on your serving platter, spread a good, thick layer of frosting in the middle, add the second cake layer and then frost the sides and top. This frosting is ‘slipperier’ than most, but you’ll get the hang of it (I made a mess, recovered, and still had a wee bit leftover), and once it’s frosted, keep the cake in the fridge! then plan ahead and take it out at least a half hour before serving. As mentioned, this keeps beautifully – refrigerated – for a few days.
- Category: Cakes
hi gorgeous! i beat icing sugar into the ganache- it made it sweeter and then i did not have to refridgerate it. important when i had to transport it and have it at room temp. an awesome cake! xx