Chocolate Blackout Cake Recipes

CHOCOLATE BLACKOUT CAKE

Steps:

• Make the filling: Bring the milk to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk the sugar, cornstarch, vanilla and egg in a medium heatproof bowl until smooth. Gradually whisk half of the hot milk into the sugar mixture, then return to the pan with the remaining milk. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture boils and thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl (strain through a fine-mesh sieve if it looks lumpy), then stir in the chocolate until melted. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, make the ganache: Put the chocolate and salt in a large heatproof bowl. Bring 1 1/2 cups heavy cream to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat; pour over the chocolate and let sit 5 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Pour 3/4 cup of the ganache into a liquid measuring cup and set aside at room temperature. Refrigerate the remaining ganache in the bowl until thick but not set, about 1 hour.
• Assemble the cake: Put 1 cake layer on a platter; spread the filling on top, stopping about 1/2 inch from the edge. Top with the second cake layer and press down gently.
• Add the remaining 2 tablespoons heavy cream to the chilled ganache and beat with a mixer on medium speed until just fluffy, about 1 minute (do not overbeat). Frost the whole cake with the whipped ganache. Pour the room-temperature ganache on top, letting it drip down the sides. Let set before slicing, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat two 9-inch-round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
• Whisk the cocoa powder and 1 1/2 cups boiling water in a medium bowl until smooth; set aside. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl until combined. Add the eggs, vegetable oil, sour cream and vanilla and beat with a mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the cocoa mixture in a steady stream until just combined, then finish mixing with a rubber spatula. (The batter will be thin.)
• Divide the batter between the prepared pans and tap the pans against the counter to help the batter settle. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer to racks and let cool 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the pans and turn the cakes out onto the racks to cool completely. Remove the parchment. Trim the tops of the cakes with a long serrated knife to make them level, if desired.

BLACKOUT CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk oil, eggs, and buttermilk.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, whisking until no lumps remain. Pour in brewed coffee, mixing until just combined.
• Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for roughly 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
• To make the frosting, place butter and cream cheese in a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (an electric hand mixer also works). Cream on high speed for 1 minute, then turn speed to low and add in cocoa powder. Mix until combined, then add in powdered sugar, brewed coffee, vanilla extract, and salt. Cream on high speed for 1 minute, until mixture has lightened slightly and is fluffy.
• Frost cake by placing first cake layer onto a cake stand. Top with a healthy dose of frosting. Spread evenly, then repeat with second layer. Use remaining frosting to frost sides of the cake. Last, use the back of a spoon to create a large swirling pattern all around the cake!

CHOCOLATE BLACKOUT CAKE

Steps:

• For the chocolate cake layers: Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment and spray with nonstick spray.
• Combine the sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and mix on high speed until light in color, about 1 minute.
• Add the eggs, 2 at a time. Mix on medium-high speed after each addition until fully incorporated.
• In a medium bowl, combine the hot water and buttermilk. Add the black cocoa and whisk until smooth.
• Add 1 cup of the cake flour to the mixture in the stand mixer and mix on low speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary, until the flour is fully incorporated.
• Pour in half of the buttermilk-cocoa mixture, and gently pulse the mixture to incorporate the liquid (or you'll end up splattering it all over your kitchen!). Repeat with 1 more cup of the cake flour and the remaining cocoa mixture. Add the remaining 1 cup cake flour and mix on low speed just until incorporated.
• Pour an equal amount of the batter between the prepared cake pans. (I weigh the pans on a kitchen scale to ensure each one has exactly the same amount.)
• Bake 2 pans on the upper rack and 1 on the lower rack, switching and rotating the pans halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 31 to 33 minutes.
• Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then run an offset spatula around the edge of each pan to help release the cake.
• Place the pans in the freezer for about 45 minutes to speed up the cooling. Once the cakes are fully cooled, carefully invert each cake onto a plate and remove the parchment.
• Use a serrated knife to level the top of each cake and place the trimmings in a small bowl. Break up the trimmings into small crumbs with a fork, cover with plastic wrap and reserve to decorate the cake.
• For the chocolate ganache frosting: While the cake layers bake and cool, place the chocolate chips in a medium heatproof bowl and set aside.
• Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium-high heat just until it begins to bubble. Pour over the chocolate, making sure all the chocolate is submerged. Let sit for about 2 minutes, letting the heat from the cream melt the chocolate.
• Carefully stir the mixture with a rubber spatula until the ganache is silky smooth and all the chocolate is melted. (If any bits of chocolate still aren't melted, microwave the ganache for 30 seconds at a time, until the cream and chocolate are fully incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
• For the chocolate pudding filling: Combine the instant pudding mix and cold milk in a medium bowl. Whisk until the mixture thickens, about 1 minute. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
• To assemble the chocolate blackout cake: Add a dab of ganache to a greaseproof cake board to help the first cake layer to adhere. Top with 1 cake layer. Spread an even layer of ganache over the top with an offset spatula. Using a rubber spatula, spread 1/4 of the chocolate pudding over the ganache. Top with the second cake layer and repeat spreading the ganache and pudding. Finally, top with the third cake layer. Reserve the remaining pudding for decorating the cake.
• Cover the top and sides of the cake in a thin coating of ganache, then smooth with a bench scraper. Refrigerate the cake for 10 minutes or freeze for 5 minutes, until the ganache is firm to the touch.
• Cover the cake in a second, thicker coating of ganache, then smooth again with a bench scraper. If desired, use an icing comb to create ridges around the sides of the cake.
• Decorate the cake, as desired. I cover the top of the cake with some of the reserved cake crumbs and pudding then place some more crumbs around the base. I also add a ganache drip around the top for fun!

CHOCOLATE BLACKOUT CAKE

Steps:

• For the Pudding: Melt chocolate and butter in bowl over simmering water.
• In medium bowl, whisk cornstarch, cocoa, and 1/4 cup of the sugar into 1/2 cup of the milk.
• Then whisk in eggs and yolks.
• In saucepan bring 2 cups of milk and 1/4 cup of sugar just to a simmer.
• Temper with egg mixture, return all to pan and whisk constantly until bubbles boil up for 3 seconds.
• Remove from heat and strain.
• Thoroughly mix in melted chocolate.
• Cover surface with plastic.
• Cool for 1 hour then refrigerate.
• For the Cake: Preheat oven to 350.
• Spray and line with parchment 1 8-inch cake pan.
• Tripple sift together: flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
• Cream butter and sugar.
• Add eggs one at a time until incorporated.
• Beat until light and fluffy- 6 minutes Mix liquid ingredients together.
• Alternately beat in wet and dry ingredients.
• Pour into cake pan.
• Bake until tests done.
• About 30-40 minutes.
• Cool.
• Make ganache.
• Let sit until spreadable.
• Turn cake out of pan.
• Trim top to flatten (save scraps) and slice into 3 layers.
• Toast scraps on sheetpan for 5 minutes, cool and process coarsley in food processor.
• Spread pudding between layers, frost with ganache and coat sides with crumbs.

ALL-CHOCOLATE BLACKOUT CAKE FROM EBINGER'S

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Butter and lightly flour two 8-inch round cake pans.
• Make the cake: Place the cocoa in a small bowl and whisk in the boiling water to form a paste.
• Combine the chocolate and milk in a small saucepan over medium heat.
• Stir frequently until the chocolate melts, about 3 minutes.
• Remove from heat.
• Whisk a small amount of the hot chocolate milk into the cocoa paste to warm it.
• Whisk the cocoa mixture into the milk mixture.
• Return the pan to medium heat an stir for 1 minute.
• Remove and set aside to cool until tepid.
• In the bowl of a mixer, cream the butter and sugar together.
• Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, and add the vanilla.
• Slowly stir in the chocolate mixture.
• Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• Using a spatula or a wooden spoon, slowly add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture.
• Fold until just mixed.
• In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form.
• Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the batter.
• Divide the batter between the prepared pans.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cakes comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
• Cool the cakes in the pans on a rack for 15 minutes.
• Gently remove the cakes from the pans and continue to cool.
• While the cake is baking, make the filling: Combine the cocoa and boiling water in a small saucepan over low heat.
• Stir in the sugar and chocolate.
• Add the dissolved cornstarch paste and salt to the pan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
• Boil for 1 minute.
• Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the vanilla and butter.
• Transfer the mixture to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until cool.
• Make the frosting: Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over hot, not simmering, water, stirring until smooth.
• Remove the top of the double boiler from the heat and whisk in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Return the top to the hat, if necessary, to melt the butter.
• Whisk in the hot water all at once and whisk until smooth.
• Whisk in the corn syrup and vanilla.
• Cover and refrigerate for up to 15 minutes prior to using.
• Assemble the cake: Use a sharp serrated knife to slice each cake layer horizontally in half to form 4 layers.
• Set 1 layer aside.
• Place 1 layer on a cake round or plate.
• Generously swath the layer with 1/3 of the filling.
• Add the second layer and repeat.
• Set the third layer on top.
• Quickly apply a layer of frosting to the top and the sides of the cake.
• Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, crumble the remaining cake layer.
• Apply the remaining frosting to the cake.
• Sprinkle it liberally with the cake crumbs.
• Serve the cake within 24 hours, store in a cool place.
• Note: The filling ingredients make for a very runny filling, which is how a real Ebinger's cake should be.
• For those who desire a less syrupy consistency, they can stir in an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.

BROOKLYN BLACKOUT CAKE

Steps:

• In a small heavy saucepan, mix sugar, cornstarch and salt. Whisk in milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Stir in chocolate until melted. Transfer to a bowl; stir in vanilla. Cool slightly, stirring occasionally. Press plastic wrap onto surface of pudding. Refrigerate, covered, 2 hours or until cold., Preheat oven to 325°. Line bottoms of two greased 8-in. round baking pans with parchment; grease paper. In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add cocoa; cook and stir until blended. Stir in sugars. Remove from heat; stir in buttermilk, coffee and vanilla. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, until blended. Stir in flour mixture just until combined., Transfer batter to prepared pans. Bake 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove parchment. Cool completely., For frosting, in the top of a double boiler or a metal bowl over hot water, melt chocolate and butter; stir until smooth. Remove from heat. Whisk in hot water, all at once. Whisk in corn syrup and vanilla. Refrigerate 25-30 minutes or just until spreadable., Using a long serrated knife, cut each cake horizontally in half. Place a cake layer on a serving plate. Spread with half of the pudding. Repeat layers. Top with a third cake layer. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake., Crumble remaining cake layer; sprinkle over top and sides of cake, pressing lightly to adhere. Refrigerate leftovers.