Chocolate Cake - the Darker the Better...
The challenge -- find the best recipe for chocolate cake...the darker the better. Something decadent and rich, but not too sweet. Definitely topped with more smooth chocolate. Maybe modeled after those restaurant mountains where it takes 4 people to finish just one slice... Oh, and it has to look as stunning as it tastes.
I accept your challenge!
This cake was requested by a coworker for his birthday. He stipulated the darker the better part, the rest of the qualifications were mine. And if I do say, this cake fulfills every single one.
To be fair, the aesthetic part is up to you, but it's fairly simple to frost a cake, and if you add some chocolate curls at the end, voila!
Now I will stop talking because this is serious stuff.
Don't forget your apron.
Preheat the oven and line three 8" cake pans with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, add chocolate chips and cover with hot coffee. Stir gently until chocolate has melted. Set aside to cool.
Side note - I chose to use high quality 60% bittersweet chips for the recipe. Many people take their chocolate VERY seriously, so consider spending a few extra dollars to reward them (and yourself) with excellent flavor!
In a medium sized bowl, combine cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix together and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat eggs at medium high speed until foamy. Slowly add sugar. When combined add oil and vanilla.
Add melted chocolate and mix.
Mix in dry ingredients alternating with buttermilk.
Pour 1/3 of the batter into each of the prepared pans. Bake.
After you put the cake in the oven, immediately start the chocolate ganache topping. Why so quickly? It needs plenty of time to cool so it is not too soft before spreading on the cake. This way it will be ready by the time the cakes cool.
To have a better idea of what consistency you're looking for - think of pudding right before it sets. Much thicker than syrup -- if it's at this stage the chocolate will be too runny and will pour down the sides and make a huge mess. It's thinner than buttercream -- after all, it is a delicate cake that we are frosting and want to POUR the ganache, not spread it.
Anyway.
In a small saucepan, bring heavy cream and corn syrup to a boil. Remove from heat and add chocolate chips.
Whisk until melted. Set somewhere chilly to cool for 45 minutes.
When the cake is done baking, set aside to cool completely.
When ready, place one layer on a cake stand and pour 1/4 of the chocolate mixture on top, spreading until even. Do the same with the second and third layers, using the remaining chocolate for the sides.
Now for decoration!
I found the trick to pretty chocolate curls is the temperature of the chocolate. I had a medium thickness dark chocolate bar which I set on top of the warm stove to bring to just above room temperature. This was key (note - I tried with cold and room temperature chocolate and just got weird stick-like shavings which were ugly).
Using a vegetable peeler, peel away strips of chocolate from the edge of the bar. I did this directly over my cake, but if you're in a warmer climate where the chocolate is in danger of melting, consider putting them in a bowl and keeping in the refrigerator until decorating time.
Now eat some cake!
Published 02/2013
I accept your challenge!
This cake was requested by a coworker for his birthday. He stipulated the darker the better part, the rest of the qualifications were mine. And if I do say, this cake fulfills every single one.
To be fair, the aesthetic part is up to you, but it's fairly simple to frost a cake, and if you add some chocolate curls at the end, voila!
Now I will stop talking because this is serious stuff.
Don't forget your apron.
Preheat the oven and line three 8" cake pans with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, add chocolate chips and cover with hot coffee. Stir gently until chocolate has melted. Set aside to cool.
Side note - I chose to use high quality 60% bittersweet chips for the recipe. Many people take their chocolate VERY seriously, so consider spending a few extra dollars to reward them (and yourself) with excellent flavor!
In a medium sized bowl, combine cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix together and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat eggs at medium high speed until foamy. Slowly add sugar. When combined add oil and vanilla.
Mix in dry ingredients alternating with buttermilk.
Please note, the batter will be VERY thin.
Pour 1/3 of the batter into each of the prepared pans. Bake.
After you put the cake in the oven, immediately start the chocolate ganache topping. Why so quickly? It needs plenty of time to cool so it is not too soft before spreading on the cake. This way it will be ready by the time the cakes cool.
To have a better idea of what consistency you're looking for - think of pudding right before it sets. Much thicker than syrup -- if it's at this stage the chocolate will be too runny and will pour down the sides and make a huge mess. It's thinner than buttercream -- after all, it is a delicate cake that we are frosting and want to POUR the ganache, not spread it.
Anyway.
In a small saucepan, bring heavy cream and corn syrup to a boil. Remove from heat and add chocolate chips.
Whisk until melted. Set somewhere chilly to cool for 45 minutes.
When the cake is done baking, set aside to cool completely.
When ready, place one layer on a cake stand and pour 1/4 of the chocolate mixture on top, spreading until even. Do the same with the second and third layers, using the remaining chocolate for the sides.
Now for decoration!
I found the trick to pretty chocolate curls is the temperature of the chocolate. I had a medium thickness dark chocolate bar which I set on top of the warm stove to bring to just above room temperature. This was key (note - I tried with cold and room temperature chocolate and just got weird stick-like shavings which were ugly).
Using a vegetable peeler, peel away strips of chocolate from the edge of the bar. I did this directly over my cake, but if you're in a warmer climate where the chocolate is in danger of melting, consider putting them in a bowl and keeping in the refrigerator until decorating time.
Now eat some cake!
Dark Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache
Published 02/2013
Ingredients
Cake- 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 cups hot coffee
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup cocoa
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup canola oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 16 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons corn syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 F. Line three 8 inch round cake pans with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Place chocolate chips in a small bowl and cover with hot coffee. Stir until chocolate has melted. Set aside to cool.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add eggs and whip at high speed with a paddle attachment until they are light and bubbly. Add sugar and continue to mix. When combined, add oil, vanilla and melted chocolate.
- Add dry ingredients in 3 batches, alternating with buttermilk. Mix until combined. Batter will be very thin.
- Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 40-45 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
- Prepare ganache by adding chocolate chips to a large bowl. In a small saucepan, bring whipping cream and corn syrup to a boil. Pour over chocolate and whisk until smooth. Allow to cool for 45 minutes, mixture will thicken as it cools.
- Layer cake with 1/4 of the ganache in between each later. Pour remaining ganache on the top layer and smooth over the sides. Top with chocolate shavings.
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