Chocolate Layer Cake with Ganache Frosting
Chocolate Layer Cake with Ganache involves decadent chocolate cake layers enveloped in a ganache chocolate frosting. Once you make the cake batter, you'll pop it into the oven for a quick bake while you make the fudgy frosting. Spread the frosting over the moist cake layers for an indulgent, chocolatey dessert everyone will love.
Servings 16
Calories 532kcal
Ingredients
Cake:
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate
- 1 ½ cups flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar
- ¾ cups butter room temp
- 4 eggs room temp
Fudge Frosting:
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Cake:
- Preheat oven to 325º. Butter and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Cover the bottom with parchment paper.
- Add chopped up chocolate to a microwave bowl and microwave at 50% for 2-3 minutes until melted. Let cool.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and soda.
- In a large measuring cup, whisk together the milk and sour cream.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until smooth, 2-3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add melted chocolate and beat to combine. Add dry ingredients alternating with milk mixture, starting and ending with flour. Beat just until smooth. Divide between prepared pans.
- Bake until a toothpick comes out clean 23-25 minutes. Let cool on a rack for 15 minutes then remove from the pans and let cool completely before frosting.
Frosting:
- Add butter, sugar, cocoa powder and chocolate to a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until it begins to bubble around the edges but does not boil, about 3-4 minutes. Gradually add the cream, whisking until it is incorporated, Add vanilla. Cool at least 2 hours until it has thickened before frosting the cake.
To assemble:
- Place 1 layer on a cake plate and even the top with a serrated knife. Pipe a ridge of frosting around the outside of the top and then fill in with more frosting. Even out the second cake layer with a serrated knife and flip it so that the bottom of the cake layer is facing up. Place most of the frosting on top and use an offset spatula to spread it down the sides. Once the sides are covered, spread it evenly across the top.
Notes
- For even layers, weigh the cake pans before baking.
- Chocolate bars work better than chocolate chips for this recipe. You can use milk chocolate if you want it a little sweeter, or dark chocolate if you want it more intense.
