Blackout Cake

All dressed up for May. It's for a Cinco de Mayo potluck we're having for work. And it's revenge for the Cake Incident of Laboratory Professionals Week 2009. We might leave the garnish and a few dried up crumbs for first shift. But I want everyone to know there isn't a bitter, petty bone in our bodies. Nope. Not one.

I've been reluctant to post the recipe, but I'm not sure why. It's not much longer than other recipes I've typed out. I just feel kind of proprietary toward it; coworkers link my name with this chocolate-topped-with-chocolate-stuffed-with-chocolate-dripping-with-chocolate cake. Which is really silly, because it's not even my original recipe. But I have adapted it from the version I got from my sister-in-law Kimm years ago. Sadly, I do not have the name of the cookbook or recipe author. Guess it's mine now.

This is a great potluck cake, because it's so big. You can sort of see in an old pic with a gallon of milk included for scale from a previous post

Ellen, I can hear you screaming at the amount of sugar. And the amount of ganache might easily elicit taking the Lord's name in vain. But it's SOOOOOO GOOOOOD!!

Cake:

1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces/170 g) butter, softened
3 cups granulated white sugar (675 g)
3 eggs
2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
4 ounces (112 g) unsweetened chocolate, melted
3 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 C (190 ml) buttermilk
1 1/3 C (332 ml) boiling water

3/4 to 1 C diced toasted almonds (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 3 9-inch round cake pans generously with shortening. Cut rounds of parchment paper to fit bottoms of cake pans, and grease the paper.

2. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until well blended. Add melted chocolate and beat 1-2 minutes.

3. Mix together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to the chocolate mixture in two additions alternately with the buttermilk. Beat until well blended. With the mixer on LOW speed, carefully and slowly add the boiling water and beat until smooth (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

4. Bake 40 minutes or until toothpick tester inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pans 10 to 15 minutes, then unmold onto wire racks and let cool completely.

5. Level layers with long, serrated knife if necessary. Place strips of wax paper around the edges of a large cake plate to keep plate clean, and place the first cake layer in the center (stick with a small dollop of ganache to hold it securely). Cover the top of the cake layer with a thick layer of chocolate ganache. Freeze to set. Set a second layer on top, using a little more fresh ganache to help it stick if necessary. Cover the top of a second layer with ganache and freeze to set. Set the third layer on top. Generously frost the top and sides with ganache, spreading to smooth.

6. Press diced almonds into the side of the cake if using. Alternatively press bittersweet chocolate shavings or curls. Carefully remove strips of wax paper. Place remaining ganache in a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip, and pipe rosettes on top of cake or in mouth as desired. Refrigerate cake 3-4 hours, or until ganache is firm, before serving.

Ganache:

36 ounces (1008 g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
3 C (750 ml) heavy cream
4 tablespoons (56 g) butter, cut up
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. In a heavy saucepan, combine chocolate and cream. Heat until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat and stir until mixture is smooth. Stir in butter and vanilla.

2. Allow to sit at room temperature for 3 hours, or refrigerate 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until ganache begins to hold its shape and is thick enough to spread on cake.



Notes:

I've made mint versions of this cake before, and I have also tucked in layers of raspberry jam between the layers and nestled fresh, perfect red raspberries in the ganache rosettes.

Slice cake with a long knife dipped in very hot water (and dried).

Serve this cake with lots of cold milk or hot coffee. One thin sliver goes a looooong way.