Ultra Chocolate Ganache Layer Cake!

For all of you chocolate lovers out there, this one is for you! I am always searching for new recipes, especially when it comes to cakes, because I hate dry, tough, cake! If I am going to make a chocolate cake, I want it to taste fresh, moist, and like chocolate!

This recipe (and the design of the cake) below was adapted from the Food Network, but I added white chocolate ganache too since I was making this for a colleague who is an ultra chocolate lover!

Ingredients

For the Cake:
-3 1/2 cups all purpose flour (sift first and then measure out)
-2 cups of hot strong coffee (or you could try espresso - I used a pecan coffee that I love to drink)
-1 1/2 cups natural unsweetened cocoa powder
-2 teaspoons salt
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1 teaspoon baking powder
-4 cups sugar (yes, it's a lot, but it's okay for this)
-4 large eggs
-2 cups of water
-1 cup of vegetable oil
-4 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the White Chocolate and Chocolate Ganache:
-2 12oz bags of semi-sweet chocolate chips
-1 12 oz bag of white chocolate chips
-3 cups heavy cream

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare to round 8 or 10 inch pans with cooking spray.  I use the baking cooking spray that has the flour in it.  If you do not have flour in yours, then dust the pan with flour too.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and hot coffee and set aside.

In a kitchen aid mixer, use the paddle attachment on low speed to mix together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and sugar.

Once combined, add the eggs, water, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract.  Mix all ingredients together on medium speed.  Reduce the speed down to low and slowly pour in the coffee and cocoa mixture.  You can up the speed a little bit to make sure all ingredients are combined, but do not over mix! I only mixed the ingredients for about 2 minutes.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans and place in the oven.  Cook for about 45 minutes to an hour, or until a tester and/or toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Please note, this batter makes a little bit more than what may fit in your two round pans (especially if using 8 inch pans), so you may be able to make another smaller cake out of the batter!

Let the cakes cool on a cooling rack for about 10-15 minutes.  Then, flip the cakes out of the pans and allow to finish cooling.

Meanwhile, prepare the white chocolate and chocolate ganache.  You can also just do one or the other, but I like using both.

Pour the two bags of chocolate chips into a bowl, and pour the bag of white chocolate chips into another bowl.  In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream until it is just about to boil.  Pour two cups of the scalded cream over the chocolate chips, and the rest over the white chocolate chips.  Whisk the the two bowls of chips until they all melt and you have a bowl of smooth chocolate and a bowl of smooth white chocolate.  Set aside to cool, but do not let it harden.  You may have to occasionally whisk the ganache to keep it from hardening too much.

When the ganache has cooled enough, whisk the white chocolate until it becomes light and fluffy, like a butter cream frosting (I used my kitchen aid to make the process easier).  Do the same with half of the chocolate ganache, but remember to reserve the other half, because you'll want to pour that over the top and sides of the cake later.

Once the cakes are cooled, cut each cake in half so that you end up with four layers.  I usually freeze the cakes for about an hour first to allow for easier cutting.  Rotate frosting each layer of the cakes with the whipped white chocolate and chocolate ganaches.  Once the cakes are frosted and stacked, take the remaining chocolate ganache and pour over the top and sides of the cake.

If you want to decorate the sides of the cake with chocolate shards, then melt some chocolate chips in a bowl in the microwave.  On a pan lined with parchment paper, spread the melted chocolate out in a thin layer, and cool in the fridge for about ten minutes.  While that is cooling, melt some white chocolate chips in a bowl in the microwave, and pour the melted chocolate into a piping bag and/or plastic bag.  Cut in a little whole in the bag so that you can squeeze out some white chocolate.  Pipe lines of white chocolate over the chocolate that you spread out on the pan.  Return the pan to the fridge to allow the chocolate to fully cool (about another ten minutes).

Once cooled, just break the chocolate into pieces and stick along the sides of your cake.  If the chocolate pieces melt in your hand a little, you may need to return to the fridge for a few minutes.

Then, get a tall class of milk (or wine), dig in, and enjoy! Pin It