Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
1 pound (2 cups plus 2 1/2 tablespoons) sugar
3 ounces (1 cup) good unsweetened cocoa powder
6 ounces (1 1/4 cup) bread flour
7 ounces (1 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon) cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 eggs
1 1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup freshly brewed strong coffee
10 ounces (2 1/2 sticks) butter, melted
Instructions
1. Preheat an oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of two 9 inch cake pans with parchment paper then butter and flour both pans.
2. Sift the dry ingredients together (sugar, cocoa, flours, baking powder and soda, and salt) and mix. Set aside.
3. Beat the eggs for a minute. Add the buttermilk, sour cream and vanilla and mix until homogeneous.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and mix until combined and there are no lumps.
5. Add the melted butter and brewed coffee. Mix until fully blended in.
6. Pour the batter between the prepared pans. Bake in a preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs still attached (but not wet). Mine baked 37 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven and let cook in the pans. Remove from the pan and let cool completely before icing.
Since the dark chocolate and milk chocolate frosting and filling are made with the same base, I’ve prepare one recipe below for both so you can prepare both at the same time. If you just want one flavor you can skip the steps that call for separating the chocolate.
Dark Chocolate Filling and Milk Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients
4 ounces good milk chocolate, chopped
6 ounces good semi sweet chocolate, chopped (separated in half)
4 ounces good dark chocolate (60 or 70% cocoa), chopped
1 pound 4 ounces unsalted (5 sticks) butter
1 pound (4-5 cups) powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 cup cream
Instructions
1. Bring a small pot of water to a simmer. Place 4 ounces milk chocolate and 3 ounces semi sweet chocolate in a large glass or metal bowl. Place the 4 ounces dark chocolate and the remaining 3 ounces semi sweet chocolate in a separate large bowl.
2. Place one of the bowls over the pot of simmering water and stir the chocolate until it is melted and smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and set aside.
3. Repeat step 2 with the other bowl of chocolate.
4. In a bowl of a stand mixer, or a separate bowl, beat the butter for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar mix until incorporated and smooth. Add the cream and vanilla and mix until blended in.
5. Split the butter and sugar mixture amongst the two bowls of chocolate. Place 60% of the mixture in the milk chocolate bowl and the remaining 40% of the mixture in the dark chocolate bowl.
6. Keeping the two frostings separate, mix each until the chocolate and butter mixture are blended. Don’t over mix or whip–you want to avoid incorporating air. Add more powdered sugar and mix until blended if the frosting looks too thin. You can add a little cream if the frosting looks too thick.
7. Divide the dark chocolate filling into three equal portions and place between each layer of cake.
8. Use the milk chocolate frosting to frost the cake. Try doing a thin crumb layer of frosting first–use just enough to cover the cakethough you will see some cake poking through–refrigerate for 10 to 30 minutes to let this thin layer harden, then apply the rest of the icing. This will help keep crumbs from pulling up during the icing part.
The last step will be to prepare the ganache. I suggest putting the iced cake in the fridge while you prepare the ganache.
Super Dark Chocolate Ganache
Ingredients
1 cup heavy cream
2 ounces good 100% cocoa bar, chopped
4 ounces good dark chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped
3 ounces good semi dark chocolate (60% cocoa), chopped
Instructions
1. Place all the chopped chocolate in a metal or glass bowl. Set aside.
2. Bring the cream to a boil in a small sauce pan. Remove from the heat and let all the bubbles settle. Once the cream has cooled slightly, but is still steaming, pour it into the bowl with the chocolate.
3. Whisk the cream and chocolate mixture until completely smooth.
4. Let the ganache cool slightly before pouring over the cake. Starting at the center of the top of the cake add a little at a time and use a frosting spatula to control the flow of the ganache.
5. Refrigerate the cake for a while to let the ganache set.
