Dark Chocolate Chocolate Cake

Dark Chocolate Chocolate Cake

Cake.

• • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

  • 3/4 cup unsweetened, special dark cocoa powder

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 4 eggs

  • 1 cup buttermilk

  • 1 cup sour cream

  • 2/3 cup vegetable oil

  • 2 teaspoons vanilla

  • 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted

Buttercream.

• • 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate

  • 8 ounces heavy whipping cream

  • 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter

  • 3 1/3 cups powdered sugar

  • 2/3 cup unsweetened, special dark cocoa powder

  • 2 tablespoons meringue powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 2 teaspoons vanilla

Cake.

Preheat the oven to 350. Spray the bottoms of three 8-inch round cake pans with non-stick spray.

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the dry ingredients. Add the remaining wet ingredients and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Divide batter between the pans.

Bake for 25-27 minutes, until the center springs back and a toothpick comes out clean. Set the pans on wire racks, cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel and cool completely.

Buttercream.

Finely chop the chocolate and place in a bowl. Warm the cream over medium low heat, just until it simmers around the edges. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, let stand for 3 minutes, then stir until smooth. Cover and let cool at room temperature for at least 2 hours, but preferably 4-5 hours.

Scrape the cooled, thickened ganache into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat together with the butter for several minutes until smooth. With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, meringue powder and salt, mixing until combined. Add the vanilla. Whip on medium high until light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes.

For the cake pictured here, fill the cooled cake layers with buttercream and frost with a thin crumb coat of buttercream. Chill cake for 20-30 minutes. Fit a piping bag with a Wilton #22 star tip and fill with buttercream (if your ganache was still warm and soft, your buttercream may be too thin; in that case, just whisk in another cup of powdered sugar - letting your ganache cool at room temperature for longer will prevent this, though). Pipe the buttercream onto the cake, working in columns from bottom to top, and finish with sprinkles.

Recipe from Curly Girl Kitchen