Chocolate Cake Recipe with Whipped Ganache Frosting

A slice of chocolate cake with lighter chocolate frosting on a Christmas plate.

Chocolate Cake Recipe with Whipped Ganache Frosting

One of the best chocolate cake recipes out there. Make it using the Two-Stage Method for melting tenderness. For a bit more structure, use The Creaming Method. Original recipe by Rose Levy Beranbaum, adapted by me.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 40

Total Time 55

Servings servings

Calories 634kcal

Author Jennifer Field

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Cake Layers

2.25 oz Dutch process cocoa powder 64 grams or about 3/4 cup
8.25 oz boiling water 234 grams or 1 cup, 1 1/2 teaspoons
1 Tablespoon instant coffee optional, but it does deepen the chocolate flavor
1 Tablespoon vanilla
3 large eggs
8.25 oz sifted cake flour 234 grams or about 2 cups
10 oz granulated sugar 284 grams or a slightly scant 1 1/2 cups
1 Tablespoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon fine salt
6 oz butter 170 grams or 3/4 cups (1 1/2 sticks)
1.75 oz vegetable oil 50 grams or about 1/4 cup

For the Whipped Ganache

24 oz heavy cream 454 grams or 2 cups
1 Tablespoon instant coffee optional, but it does deepen the chocolate flavor
12 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped, or high quality chocolate chips 227 grams or about 1 1/4 cups
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
heavy pinch salt

Instructions

For the Cake

Heat the oven to 325F and line the bottoms of 2 8" x 2" cake pans with a round of parchment. Spray the sides of the pan with pan spray. Set aside.
Whisk together the cocoa powder, instant coffee, and boiling water. Add the vanilla. Cover and let cool to room temperature.
In the bowl of your stand mixer or in a large bowl (if using a hand mixer), whisk together the dry ingredients: cake flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Add the softened butter, oil, and eggs to the dry ingredients and mix on low to combine. Increase the speed to medium and mix for 2 minutes to develop the structure of the cake. Scrape the bowl as necessary.
Add the cooled water/cocoa powder mixture and mix in on low speed for a few seconds.
Finish mixing by hand using a rubber/silicone spatula to make sure all the ingredients are completely incorporated.
Once the batter is mixed, divide evenly between your two pans. Swirl a knife back and forth through the batter to get rid of any large bubbles, then smooth the top of the batter.
Bake for about 40 min or until the internal temperature of the cakes are 200-210F.
Let the layers cool in the pan for about fifteen minutes, and then turn them out onto cooling racks. For moistest cakes, wrap the layers in plastic wrap as soon as you "depan," and allow them to cool this way, either on the counter, in the fridge, or in the freeer.

For the Frosting

Heat heavy cream, pinch of salt, and instant coffee until it just comes to a boil.
Add the chopped chocolate or chocolate chips to a large bowl. Pour the cream over the chocolate, scraping the pan to get out all the cream.
Allow the mixture to sit for a minute. Add the vanilla, and whisk slowly until the cream and chocolate emulsify into a shiny ganache. Cover and let cool, then chill completely in the fridge.
Once chilled, whisk with a hand mixer, finishing by hand until the ganache thickens, lightens in color, and holds its shape. Do not overwhip or your ganache will get grainy. Take it to just barely stiff peaks and then stop.
NOTE: This amount of whipped ganache will generously fill and frost an 8" 2-layer cake. If you are more generous than I was, you will use it all. In the cakes in the photos, I ended up with about an extra cup of whipped ganache. So worry not, you will not run out.

To Stack and Frost Your Cake

If your cakes are domed at all, slice off the domes and eat them as a snack or use them to make a few cake pops and eat those as a snack.
Spread a bit of ganache on a flat serving platter, plate, or cake board.
Position the first layer, cut-dome-side up, in the center and press down lightly.
Plop on roughly 1/2-3/4 cup ganache and, using an offset spatula, spread to the edges of the layer.
Place the second layer, cut-dome-side down, on top of the first layer and press down lightly.
If crumb coating, spoon about 1 1/2 cups frosting into a different bowl, and then spread a thin layer of ganache over the top and down the sides of the cake. Refrigerate for 45 minutes, and then use the rest of the "crumb-free" ganache to frost the rest of the cake. My favorite way to do this is to heap a very lot of ganache on top of the cake. Then, use an offset spatula to spread this across the top so it starts to slump down the sides of the cake. Use the offset to spread that excess frosting around the sides, filling in as necessary. You can frost it smooth or leave it with swirls and designs you make with your spatula.

Video

Notes

Consider frosting your cake with ermine frosting. The pure white color is gorgeous against a dark chocolate cake, and the sweet creaminess is a lovely foil to the chocolate flavor.

Instructions for Using The Creaming Method

If you prefer a cake that's a bit "sturdier," you can use The Creaming Method to make it.

All amounts remain the same, but here's what you'll do differently.

All ingredients should be at cool room temperature, so you'll want your butter firmer than you need if using the two-stage method. And the water does not need to be boiling either. Use cool water.

On medium speed, cream together the butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla until light and fluffy (about 7 minutes). Scrape the bowl as necessary.
Whisk the eggs together in a bowl and then drizzle them in gradually over about 5 minutes.
Whisk together the cocoa powder, flour, and baking powder.
On low speed, alternate adding the dry ingredients in 3 additions with the water in 2 additions, beginning and ending with dry. Scrape the bowl as necessary.

Storing

Because of the ganache, I'd store this cake in the fridge, tightly covered. Slice as needed and for best flavor, allow the slices to sit at room temperature for about 45 minutes.

Freezing

I prefer freezing the layers unfrosted and then icing the defrosted layers. But, if you have leftover pieces you want to save for later, put them on a parchment-lined sheet pan and freeze them solid. Then wrap each slice individually in plastic wrap before storing in a heavy-duty, zip-top freezer bag or in heavy-duty foil. The cake will keep in the freezer for about 3 months.

Nutrition