Chocolate Ganache Layer Cake Recipes

CHOCOLATE GANACHE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 8-inch cake pans and dust with cocoa powder or spray with baking spray.
• Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt for cake together in a bowl.
• Dissolve cocoa and brown sugar in the boiling water.
• Beat butter and sugar together in a separate bowl until creamy. Add vanilla extract. Add of the flour mixture and mix; add 1 egg and mix. Add remaining flour mixture and combine. Mix in remaining egg. Pour in cocoa mixture gradually and mix well until combined. Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cakes cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, bring cream to a boil in a saucepan and add vanilla extract. Place dark chocolate in a bowl and pour hot cream on top. Stir until chocolate is melted and a smooth mixture forms. Add cinnamon, chili powder, and salt; mix. Let chill for 30 minutes.
• Spread some ganache on top of the cooled cakes and layer them. Spread remaining ganache over the whole cake and smooth out with a spatula. Chill for 30 minutes.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat for 2 minutes. Combine buttermilk and sour cream. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beating well after each addition. , Pour into two greased and waxed paper-lined 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely. , In a heavy saucepan, melt chocolate with cream over low heat. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Transfer to a small mixing bowl; chill until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Chill until mixture achieves spreading consistency. , For ganache, in a heavy saucepan, melt chocolate and butter. Gradually add cream; heat until just warmed. Chill until slightly thickened., Place one cake layer on a serving plate; spread with filling. Top with remaining cake layer. Slowly pour ganache over top of cake. Refrigerate until serving.

THREE-LAYER CHOCOLATE GANACHE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottoms of 3 greased 9-in. round baking pans with parchment; grease paper. In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, cocoa and baking soda. Beat in mayonnaise, coffee and vanilla. Transfer batter to prepared pans. Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove paper. Cool completely., For filling, in a small heavy saucepan, mix sugar and cornstarch. Whisk in milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Cool completely. In a large bowl, cream butter. Gradually beat in cooled mixture. Stir in chocolate chips., For ganache, place chocolate in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; let stand 5 minutes. Stir with a whisk until smooth. Stir in vanilla. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Refrigerate, covered, until cold. Beat ganache just until soft peaks form, 15-30 seconds (do not overbeat)., Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate; spread with half of the filling. Repeat layers. Top with remaining cake layer. Frost top and sides of cake with ganache. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate, cream and butter. Microwave at 50% power for 1-2 minutes or until smooth, stirring twice. Cool slightly, stirring occasionally. Drizzle over cake, allowing some to flow over sides. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE CAKE

Steps:

• Make cake layers:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 3 (7- or 8-inch, 2-inch-deep) round cake pans and line bottoms with rounds of wax or parchment paper. Butter paper and dust pans with flour, knocking out excess.
• Whisk together water, cocoa, and espresso powder until smooth, then whisk in milk and vanilla.
• Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.
• Beat together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until fluffy, then add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture and cocoa mixture in batches, beginning and ending with flour and mixing at low speed until just combined.
• Divide batter among pans (about 2 1/3 cups per pan), smoothing tops. Bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes for 7-inch pans or 20 to 25 minutes for 8-inch. Cool in pans on a rack 30 minutes, then invert onto racks, remove paper, and cool completely.
• Make ganache while cakes bake:
• Bring cream to a simmer in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan and remove from heat. Whisk in chocolate until smooth. Transfer ganache to a bowl and chill, covered, stirring occasionally, until thickened but spreadable, about 4 hours. (If ganache becomes too thick, let stand at room temperature until slightly softened.)
• Assemble cake:
• Arrange 1 layer on a cake stand or plate and spread 2/3 cup ganache evenly over it. Top with another cake layer and 2/3 cup ganache, spreading evenly, then third cake layer. (Chill ganache if necessary to keep at a spreadable consistency.) Chill cake until ganache filling is firm, about 1 hour. Keep remaining ganache at a spreadable consistency, chilling when necessary.
• Spread a thin layer of ganache over top and sides of cake to seal in crumbs, then chill 30 minutes. Spread remaining ganache evenly over top and sides of cake.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour an 8-inch round cake pan, then line the bottom with parchment paper.
• Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time. Mix in the chocolate syrup and vanilla. Add the flour and mix until just combined. Don't overbeat, or the cake will be tough.
• Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until just set in the middle. Don't overbake! Let cool thoroughly in the pan.
• For the ganache, cook the heavy cream, chocolate chips, and instant coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally.
• Place the cake upside down on a wire rack and pour the glaze evenly over the top, making sure to cover the entire cake and sides. You can tilt the rack to smooth the glaze. Decorate with candied violets, if desired, or gently crumble the gold leaf and place it on the center of the cake. Do not refrigerate.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans.
• Place butter and unsweetened chocolate in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir frequently, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching, until melted, about 5 minutes.
• Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl using an electric mixer.
• Combine buttermilk and eggs in another bowl and add melted chocolate mixture. Beat into flour mixture on low speed for 1 minute; increase speed to high and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Divide batter between the prepared cake pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the cake springs back when lightly pressed, 25 to 30 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
• Meanwhile, bring cream to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Immediately remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips until it thickens and is smooth. Allow to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
• Place one cooled cake layer on a cake plate and spread with a layer of ganache frosting. Lay the second layer on top and use remaining ganache frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake.

THREE LAYER CHOCOLATE GANACHE CAKE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Grease generously and flour three 8" round pans.
• 2. Stir together sugar, flour, dark cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl.
• 3. Add eggs, both milks, oil and vanilla. beat on medium speed of your mixer for 2 minutes.
• 4. Carefully stir in boiling water.
• 5. Pour batter evenly into three 8" prepared pans. You don't have to measure, I just eye ball it! LOL
• 6. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until wooden tooth pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 to 10 minutes, remove your cakes onto your wire racks.
• 7. While they are cooling, mix in a small dish 1 tablespoon dark cocoa and 2 tablespoon powdered sugar. Dust the tops of each round cake while still warm on your cooling rack.
• 8. Place one section on your desired dish or cake board. I put a little frosting on the bottom to keep it from sliding. Frost the top with a chocolate butter cream frosting. ****Here is where you can get creative with several different fillings. I have also used a raspberry cream cheese frosting. "Yummy"
• 9. On the "bottom" of your next layer coat with a whipped cream frosting.
• 10. Flip on top of the coated butter cream section. Continue with your next layer.
• 11. Take the rest of your whipped cream frosting and "cap" off your cake making it as round as you can. Don't use too much!
• 12. Place your cake in the freezer. Make your chocolate ganache: Heat up in a small saucepan 1 cup heavy whipping cream to almost a boil.
• 13. remove from heat and pour in your corn syrup and chocolate chips. Stir until chips dissolve. Using a wire whisk, whip it until very smooth.
• 14. Take your frozen cake out. If it seems a little off square you can smooth it off by putting a little water on your frosting spatula and gently (not adding water to the cake) smooth it flat. Remove your cake with a LARGE cake spatula onto a wire rack with a cookie sheet below. (This is easy because it's frozen). Start pouring the ganache on top of the cake letting it flow down the sides. Carefully place it back on your serving plate. For the bottom edge I press a little crushed chocolate graham crackers.
• 15. It may seem like a lot of work but it is truly a wonderful cake!

CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE WITH SWISS BUTTERCREAM AND GANACHE

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Put the cocoa powder and chocolate in a medium bowl. Add the boiling water and whisk until the chocolate is melted. Whisk in the sour cream until smooth; let cool to room temperature.
• Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla, beating well after each addition. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Beat in the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the cocoa mixture in 2 additions. Finish mixing gently with a rubber spatula, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl.
• Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans. Tap the pans against the counter to eliminate any air bubbles. Bake until the cakes spring back in the center when gently pressed, 35 to 40 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then run an offset spatula around the edges and turn out the cakes onto a rack to cool completely. Remove the parchment.
• Make the frosting: Bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk the egg whites, granulated sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Set the bowl over the saucepan (do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water); cook, whisking, until the sugar dissolves, the egg whites are frothy and the mixture is warm, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Transfer the bowl to the stand mixer and beat with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until stiff glossy peaks form and the mixture cools to room temperature, about 5 minutes. With the mixer running, add the butter a few pieces at a time, waiting for them to incorporate before adding more. (The mixture will become liquidy, then it will get thick and shiny once the butter emulsifies. It may also look curdled as you add the butter. It's OK: Keep adding butter and beating.) Add the vanilla and beat until combined and fluffy, 3 to 5 more minutes.
• Cut each cake in half horizontally to create 4 layers. Place 1 layer on a cake stand or serving plate. Spread about 2/3 cup frosting on top, then repeat with the remaining cake layers, spreading more frosting in between them. Spread a thin layer of frosting on the top and sides of the cake (this is the crumb coat - it doesn't have to be perfect), then refrigerate until the frosting sets, about 30 minutes. Spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides of the cake, smoothing it with a bench scraper.
• Make the ganache: Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan over medium-high heat until steaming, then pour over the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes, then stir until smooth. Set aside until cool but still pourable, 20 to 40 minutes (the time will vary depending on the temperature and bowl). Pour the ganache on top of the cake and spread with a small offset spatula, letting it drip down the sides. Let the ganache set 20 to 30 minutes before slicing.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE FOR CHESTNUT CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Place chocolate in a small bowl. Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate. Cover with plastic wrap for several minutes. Remove wrap, and stir until chocolate is completely smooth and melted. Set ganache aside in a cool place, and let stand until thickened to the consistency of thick cake batter, 10 to 15 minutes.