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Gemma’s Best-Ever Chocolate Cake with Whipped Dark Chocolate Ganache Recipe

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★★★★★

4.9 from 68 reviews

Gemma’s Best-Ever Chocolate Cake is a rich, moist chocolate cake made with a blend of cocoa powder, unsweetened chocolate, and hot coffee, layered and frosted with a luscious whipped dark chocolate ganache. This decadent dessert is perfect for chocolate lovers and special occasions, featuring a smooth and creamy ganache that is whipped to fluffy perfection for an elegant finish.

Ingredients

Scale

Best-Ever Chocolate Cake

  • ½ cup (2 oz/57g) cocoa powder
  • 1/3 cup (2 oz/57g) unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
  • 1 cup (8 fl oz/225 ml) very hot coffee
  • ½ cup (4 fl oz/115 ml) neutral-flavored vegetable oil
  • ½ cup (4 oz/115g) sour cream
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons (0.3 oz/8.5g) vanilla extract
  • 2 cups (10 oz/284g) cake flour
  • ½ teaspoon (0.1 oz/3g) salt
  • 1 teaspoon (0.2 oz/6g) baking soda
  • ½ cup (4 oz/115g) butter, softened
  • 2 cups (12 oz/340g) brown sugar

Whipped Dark Chocolate Ganache

  • 4 cups (24 oz/680g) semi-sweet or dark chocolate (no more than 60% cocoa), chopped very fine
  • 4 cups (30 oz/900 ml) heavy cream
  • ¼ cup (2 oz/57g) softened butter

Instructions

  1. Prepare the pans: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter two 8 or 9 inch (20 or 23 cm) round cake pans, then line the bottoms with parchment paper. Butter the parchment paper and lightly flour the pans to prevent sticking.
  2. Make the chocolate mixture: In a bowl, combine cocoa powder, finely chopped unsweetened chocolate, and very hot coffee. Stir until smooth and let cool to room temperature.
  3. Add wet ingredients: Once the chocolate mixture is cooled, thoroughly whisk in the vegetable oil, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla extract until well combined. Set aside.
  4. Mix dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, sift together the cake flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
  5. Cream butter and sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a handheld mixer, cream the softened butter and brown sugar together for several minutes until light and fluffy.
  6. Combine chocolate and butter mixture: Add the cooled chocolate mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Blend until fully incorporated.
  7. Add dry ingredients: Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in two or three increments, mixing gently and scraping the bowl sides and bottom between additions. Mix just until evenly combined to avoid overmixing.
  8. Bake the cake: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
  9. Cool the cakes: Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto wire racks to cool completely.
  10. Make the ganache: While the cakes bake, place the finely chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the heavy cream in a pan over medium heat until edges just start to simmer. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit undisturbed for 10 minutes.
  11. Stir ganache: After 10 minutes, whisk the chocolate and cream together with small circles gradually widening to combine all. The ganache will be thin at first and will thicken as it cools.
  12. Chill ganache: To speed cooling, refrigerate the ganache, stirring every 10 minutes until it reaches a thick custard-like consistency, ready to whip.
  13. Whip ganache: Transfer ganache to a stand mixer bowl, add softened butter, and whisk on high speed for about one minute until light and fluffy. Avoid overwhipping to prevent graininess.
  14. Assemble the cake: Split each cake layer in half horizontally to create four layers in total. Place a spoonful of ganache on your serving plate to anchor the first layer, then stack layers, spreading about ½ cup of ganache between each.
  15. Apply crumb coat: Frost the top and sides of the stacked cake with a thin layer of ganache to seal in crumbs, then refrigerate until firm.
  16. Final frosting: Once the crumb coat is firm, apply a thick decorative layer of whipped ganache. Remove any parchment or foil under the cake and tidy the base as needed.
  17. Storage: Store the cake covered at room temperature for up to 2 days to avoid drying out. For longer storage, freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Extra ganache can be refrigerated for up to two weeks or frozen for two months.

Notes

  • Be careful not to overmix the batter to keep the cake tender and moist.
  • Whip the ganache just until light and fluffy; overwhipping can cause it to become grainy.
  • Use a neutral-flavored vegetable oil to avoid overpowering the chocolate flavor.
  • Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting to prevent the ganache from melting.
  • To keep your serving plate clean while assembling, slide small pieces of parchment or foil under the cake edges.
  • If not serving immediately, keep the cake covered at room temperature to maintain moisture.
  • You can freeze leftover ganache and cake layers separately for future use.

Keywords: chocolate cake, whipped ganache, chocolate dessert, layered cake, Gemma's chocolate cake, rich chocolate cake, chocolate ganache frosting

Find it online: https://dinewithdylan.com/gemmas-best-ever-chocolate-cake-with-whipped-dark-chocolate-ganache-recipe/