Throw All Your Other Recipes Away! Just kidding. Keep all your chocolate layer cake recipes as they are precious little gems, but try this one too. If you like cakes that are dark, dense, and moist, it may become your new favorite. If not the cake, then perhaps the ganache frosting.
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For consistency and overall appeal, my favorite chocolate layer cake is Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake, but I think this one is slightly better. It's originally from Chef Ed Kasky who shared it one point with The LA Times. The recipe calls for three things that make cake moist (buttermilk, oil and cocoa powder) and is baked at a low and slow 300 degrees F. The low temperature helps the large cake bake evenly, keeps it moist, and minimizes cracking, doming and uneven baking.
Cake Size
You can bake it in two 10-inch cake pans or make thinner layers and use three 9-inch round pans. I usually make ⅔ of the recipe and use two 9-inch pans, and I'm pretty sure I've made ⅓ of recipe and used two 6-inch pans. That's another reason this recipe is so great. The measurements are such that it's easy to scale.
Chocolate Ganache Frosting
We love the ganache frosting and I use it all the time on different cakes. It was a little intimidating at first because it calls for a pound of chocolate, and if something goes wrong that's expensive. But ganache is actually very easy to make and this icing always works. Plus now we have Trader Joe's and Aldi chocolate which is reasonably priced.
Recipe
Chocolate Layer Cake
Ingredients
Cake Layers
- 3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (84 grams)
- 1 ½ cups hot brewed coffee
- 3 cups sugar (600 grams)
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour (320 grams)
- 1 ½ cups unsweetened natural cocoa powder (not Dutch process) (130 grams)
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk, shaken
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Ganache Frosting
- 1 cup heavy cream (228 grams)
- 2 tablespoons sugar (25 grams)
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup (40 grams)
- 1 pound semisweet chocolate (good quality), chopped
- 4 tablespoons salted or unsalted butter, cut into 4 or 5 pieces (56 grams)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Grease and flour two 10-inch cake pans or three 9-inch cake pans.
- Combine chocolate with hot coffee and stir until smooth. Let cool slightly while you prepare other ingredients.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- In another mixing bowl, using a hand-held electric mixer, beat eggs for 3 to 5 minutes or until light and lemon-colored. Using a whisk or lowest speed of mixer, add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture.
- Add flour mixture to egg mixture and beat on medium speed until blended. Use a heavy duty scraper as you mix and be sure to scrape bottom of the bowl.
- Divide batter between pans and bake in middle of oven at 300 until a tester inserted in center comes out clean. Bake time for 9 inch pans is about 50 minutes. Bake time for 10 inch pans is 60 to 75 minutes.
- Set the pans on a wire rack and let layers cool completely in the pan.
- Loosen edges with a knife and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove parchment paper and let cool completely.
- At this point you can frost the chocolate layer cake or you can wrap layers tightly in plastic wrap and freeze until ready to use.
Chocolate Ganache Frosting
- In a 1 ½- to 2-quart saucepan bring cream, sugar, and corn syrup to a boil over over medium heat, whisking gently to dissolve sugar.
- Add chocolate, then remove from heat and whisk until chocolate is melted. Whisk butter pieces into chocolate mixture one at a time, allowing butter to melt into chocolate.
- Transfer frosting to a stand mixer bowl and let cool, stirring occasionally, until spreadable
- Frost the cake.
Anna says
In my opinion it is not too sweet.
Payal says
The sugar to flour ratio looks high...is this cake very sweet?
d says
I have made that recipe many times and we love it. I have to tweak a little for high altitude but it is a wonderful recipe. Great flavor and so moist.