Chocolate Ganache Layer Cake Recipes

RASPBERRY CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• TO MAKE THE RASPBERRY FILLING:
• Combine the sugar, cornstarch and water in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat and stir to combine. Heat until the mixture is wet and the sugar begins to melt.
• 2. Add the raspberries and stir to coat with the sugar mixture.
• 3. Continue to cook until the raspberries start to soften and let out juice. Use your spatula to mash the raspberries.
• 4. Remove from heat when raspberry juice has begun to thicken, after about 5 minutes. Pour the mixture into another bowl and refrigerate until cool. TO MAKE THE CAKE LAYERS:
• Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C) and prepare three 8 inch cake pans with non-stick baking spray and parchment paper in the bottom.
• . Add the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt to a large mixer bowl and combine. Set aside.
• . Add the milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and eggs to a medium sized bowl and combine.
• . Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and beat until well combined.
• . Slowly add the hot water to the batter and mix on low speed until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is well combined.
• 0. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
• 1. Remove cakes from oven and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to finish cooling. TO MAKE THE CHOCOLATE FROSTING:
• p id="instruction-step-13″>12. Add the butter to a large mixer bowl and beat until smooth.
• 3. Add the melted chocolate and mix until well combined.
• 4. Add the cocoa powder and mix until well combined.
• 5. Add about half of the powdered sugar, salt and half of the heavy cream and mix until well combined.
• 6. Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
• 7. Add the remaining heavy cream as needed to get the right consistency of frosting. TO MAKE THE GANACHE AND FINISH THE CAKE:
• p id="instruction-step-19″>18. To make the chocolate ganache, add the chocolate chips to a medium sized bowl (see my tips on making chocolate ganache).
• 9. Heat the heavy whipping cream in the microwave until it just begins to boil. Keep an eye on it because it happens quickly.
• 0. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips and let it sit for 2-3 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Set aside.
• 1. To layer the cake, first use a large serrated knife to remove the domes from the tops of the cakes so they are flat. See my tips on how to level a cake and how to stack a cake.
• 2. Place the first cake layer on a serving plate or on a cardboard cake circle.
• 3. Pipe a dam around the outside of the cake layer with some of the chocolate frosting.
• 4. Spread about 1/4 cup of chocolate ganache on top of the cake, in the center of the dam.
• 5. Drop spoonfuls of the raspberry filling (use about half of the raspberry filling per layer) over the chocolate ganache and then spread into an even layer.
• 6. Add the second layer of cake, then repeat steps 23 thru 25.
• 7. Add the third and final layer of cake on top.
• 8. Frost the top and outside of the cake with the remaining chocolate frosting.
• 9. Use the remaining chocolate ganache to drizzle chocolate around the edges of the cake, then fill in the center. If the ganache has gotten a little firm from sitting, just reheat for a few seconds until pourable again. See my tips on making a chocolate drip cake.
• 0. Pipe swirls with the remaining chocolate frosting around the top of the cake, then decorate with additional raspberries and chocolate sprinkles, if desired. Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve. The cake is best when served at room temperature and holds up well for 4-5 days when well sealed in an air tight container. *You'll need about 2 pints of raspberries for the filling and decor.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat for 2 minutes. Combine buttermilk and sour cream. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beating well after each addition. , Pour into two greased and waxed paper-lined 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely. , In a heavy saucepan, melt chocolate with cream over low heat. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Transfer to a small mixing bowl; chill until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Chill until mixture achieves spreading consistency. , For ganache, in a heavy saucepan, melt chocolate and butter. Gradually add cream; heat until just warmed. Chill until slightly thickened., Place one cake layer on a serving plate; spread with filling. Top with remaining cake layer. Slowly pour ganache over top of cake. Refrigerate until serving.

THREE-LAYER CHOCOLATE GANACHE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottoms of 3 greased 9-in. round baking pans with parchment; grease paper. In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, cocoa and baking soda. Beat in mayonnaise, coffee and vanilla. Transfer batter to prepared pans. Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove paper. Cool completely., For filling, in a small heavy saucepan, mix sugar and cornstarch. Whisk in milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Cool completely. In a large bowl, cream butter. Gradually beat in cooled mixture. Stir in chocolate chips., For ganache, place chocolate in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; let stand 5 minutes. Stir with a whisk until smooth. Stir in vanilla. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Refrigerate, covered, until cold. Beat ganache just until soft peaks form, 15-30 seconds (do not overbeat)., Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate; spread with half of the filling. Repeat layers. Top with remaining cake layer. Frost top and sides of cake with ganache. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate, cream and butter. Microwave at 50% power for 1-2 minutes or until smooth, stirring twice. Cool slightly, stirring occasionally. Drizzle over cake, allowing some to flow over sides. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans.
• Place butter and unsweetened chocolate in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir frequently, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching, until melted, about 5 minutes.
• Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl using an electric mixer.
• Combine buttermilk and eggs in another bowl and add melted chocolate mixture. Beat into flour mixture on low speed for 1 minute; increase speed to high and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Divide batter between the prepared cake pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the cake springs back when lightly pressed, 25 to 30 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
• Meanwhile, bring cream to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Immediately remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips until it thickens and is smooth. Allow to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
• Place one cooled cake layer on a cake plate and spread with a layer of ganache frosting. Lay the second layer on top and use remaining ganache frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake.

CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE AND VANILLA WHIPPED GANACHE

Steps:

• Chop the white chocolate finely and place it in a large container.
• Bring the heavy cream and half a vanilla bean to a boil in a saucepan and then pour it all at once over the chocolate.
• Mix with a spatula until you have a smooth liquid mixture. (Use a hand blender if necessary to smooth the ganache)
• Cover with cling film and place in the fridge for one night.
• Preheat your oven to 320°F/160°C and line a 6 inch / 15 cm round pan with parchment paper.
• In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the eggs with the sugar for at least 10 minutes (they will double or even triple in volume)
• In another bowl, mix and sift together the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder.
• Lower the speed of the mixer and add the dry ingredients.
• In a separate bowl, place the cold heavy cream and whip it stiff.
• Gently fold in the whipped cream with a spatula.
• Pour this mixture into your pan and bake for about 45-55 minutes.
• Let your cake cool for a few minutes in the pan, then remove it from the pan and let it cool completely on a rack.
• Wrap your cake in cling film and place it in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
• Place the cooled ganache in the bowl of a stand mixer and whip for about 4-5 minutes at medium speed, gradually increasing the speed until you obtain a stiff ganache.
• Add the cold mascarpone in two batches and continue beating until you have a thick, firm cream.
• Place a first layer of sponge cake and fill the inside with a small amount of ganache.
• Place a second layer and repeat this step until the last layer.
• Cover the entire layer cake with a very thin layer of ganache to enclose the crumbs.
• Apply a second, thicker layer and smooth with a frosting smoother.
• Fill a pastry bag fitted with a piping bag with the remaining ganache and decorate the top of the cake by forming swirls.
• Sprinkle with cocoa meal and keep your layer cake in the fridge until ready to serve.

JAM CAKE WITH CARAMEL CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Steps:

• Center an oven rack and preheat the oven to 325°F.
• In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt, then whisk the mixture to ensure that the ingredients are well distributed.
• In a small bowl, stir together the jam and the buttermilk.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. As you make the batter, stop the mixer frequently and scrape the paddle and the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Blend in the eggs one at a time, adding the next one as soon as the previous one has disappeared into the batter. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk mixture in two parts, beginning and ending with the flour. After each addition, mix until just barely blended and stop and scrape the bowl. Stop the mixer before the last of the flour has been incorporated and complete the blending by hand with a rubber spatula to ensure you do not overbeat the batter.
• Divide the batter evenly into the prepared pans (there will be approximately 1 pound 4 ounces per pan) and smooth the tops. Bake in the middle of the oven until the centers are just barely firm when lightly touched, 32 to 34 minutes. Cool the cakes on a wire rack for 30 minutes before removing them from their pans. Once removed, continue to cool the cakes on the rack, top side up, until they reach room temperature. Leave the parchment paper on until you assemble the cake.
• To assemble the cake, place one of the layers, top side up, on a flat plate or a cake board. Using a thin metal spatula, spread a thin layer of caramel ganache (a bit more than 1/2 cup) on top of the cake and out to the edges of the cake. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of almonds evenly over the ganache. Align the next cake layer, top side up, on top of the first one, and repeat with another thin layer of ganache and almonds. Place the final layer of cake on top of the cake. Frost the top heavily and the sides lightly with the remainder of the ganache. Lightly press the remaining toasted almonds on the sides of cake.
• This cake is best stored and served at room temperature. In an airtight container, it keeps for up to 5 days.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE CAKE

Steps:

• Make cake layers:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 3 (7- or 8-inch, 2-inch-deep) round cake pans and line bottoms with rounds of wax or parchment paper. Butter paper and dust pans with flour, knocking out excess.
• Whisk together water, cocoa, and espresso powder until smooth, then whisk in milk and vanilla.
• Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.
• Beat together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until fluffy, then add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture and cocoa mixture in batches, beginning and ending with flour and mixing at low speed until just combined.
• Divide batter among pans (about 2 1/3 cups per pan), smoothing tops. Bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes for 7-inch pans or 20 to 25 minutes for 8-inch. Cool in pans on a rack 30 minutes, then invert onto racks, remove paper, and cool completely.
• Make ganache while cakes bake:
• Bring cream to a simmer in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan and remove from heat. Whisk in chocolate until smooth. Transfer ganache to a bowl and chill, covered, stirring occasionally, until thickened but spreadable, about 4 hours. (If ganache becomes too thick, let stand at room temperature until slightly softened.)
• Assemble cake:
• Arrange 1 layer on a cake stand or plate and spread 2/3 cup ganache evenly over it. Top with another cake layer and 2/3 cup ganache, spreading evenly, then third cake layer. (Chill ganache if necessary to keep at a spreadable consistency.) Chill cake until ganache filling is firm, about 1 hour. Keep remaining ganache at a spreadable consistency, chilling when necessary.
• Spread a thin layer of ganache over top and sides of cake to seal in crumbs, then chill 30 minutes. Spread remaining ganache evenly over top and sides of cake.

CHOCOLATE-HONEY GANACHE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F.
• Spray two 10-inch round cake pans (with at least 2-inch sides) with cooking spray and line the bottom of each with parchment.
• Sift both cocoa powders into a medium bowl. Whisk in the coffee and then the honey. Let cool completely.
• Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed. Gradually add the oil, beating until combined. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Raise the mixer speed to high and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well on medium-high speed after each addition. Add the sour cream and vanilla, beating just until combined. With the mixer on low, alternately add the flour mixture in three additions and the cocoa mixture in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour (scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary). Beat just until combined. Divide the batter between the two pans, using an offset spatula to spread it evenly. Tap the pans once or twice on the counter to settle the batter.
• Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until a wooden skewer inserted in the center of each cake comes out with only a few moist crumbs clinging to it, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool the cakes in their pans on a rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Run a knife along the sides of the pans, invert the cakes onto the rack, and remove the pans and the parchment. Let cool completely.
• Put the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl.
• Combine the heavy cream and honey in a 2-quart saucepan. Stir with a silicone spatula over medium-high heat until the honey dissolves into the cream, about 30 seconds. Just as the cream comes to a simmer, remove it from the heat and pour it over the chocolate. Let stand about 1 minute; then whisk until smooth. Whisk in the butter, rum (if using), and vanilla until the butter is melted and the mixture is glossy. Cool the ganache at room temperature for at least 8 hours. It will thicken as it cools. (The ganache can sit, covered, at room temperature for up to 24 hours.)
• Set one of the cake layers on a serving plate. Spread about 1 cup ganache over the surface of the cake. Top with the second cake layer and spread a very thin layer of ganache over the top and sides of the cake to seal in any crumbs. Refrigerate for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the crumb coat to set. Spread the remaining ganache evenly over the top and sides of the cake.
• To decorate the cake with chocolate curls, if using, soften the chocolate in the microwave on high power for 30 to 50 seconds. Scrape a vegetable peeler firmly down one side of the chocolate block to form thick curls. Put the curls on a plate and refrigerate until they're firm enough to handle. Scatter over the top of the frosted cake.