Decadent Chocolate Pound Cake Gemmas Bigger Bolder Baking Recipes

GEMMA'S BEST-EVER CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH WHIPPED DARK CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and butter two 8 or 9 inch (20 or 23 cm) round cake pans. Once buttered, line the bottoms of the pans with parchment, butter the parchment, and then flour the pans.
• In a bowl, combine cocoa powder, chopped chocolate, and hot coffee. Stir and let cool to room temperature.
• Once cool, thoroughly whisk in oil, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl, mix together flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, or with a handheld mixer, cream butter, and sugar together for a few minutes.
• Add the chocolate mixture and blend until very well combined.
• Finally, add your dry ingredients in two or three increments, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl with each addition. Stop just as soon as the batter is evenly and thoroughly mixed, but take care not to overmix.
• Divide batter evenly into the cake pans and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Let cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• While the cake is baking, make the ganache: place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
• In a pan over medium heat, warm the cream until the edges just start to simmer.
• Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let the cream sit in the bowl without stirring for 10 minutes.
• After 10 minutes, place a wire whisk in the center of the bowl and with small circles start to slowly stir the cream and the chocolate together.
• Once you see the ganache start to come together in the center, start widening your circle to incorporate the rest of the cream and chocolate.
• At this point, the ganache will be very thin. It will thicken as it cools. You can speed up the cooling by placing it in the refrigerator, making sure to stir it every 10 minutes.
• Once the ganache has cooled and reached the consistency of thick custard, it is ready to whip.
• Place the ganache in the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a handheld whisk), add the softened butter and whisk on high for about one minute, until light and fluffy. Take care not to overwhip the ganache or it will taste grainy.
• Once the cakes are cool and the ganache is whipped, you are ready to frost!
• Split each cake layer in half to create 4 layers.
• Place a spoon of ganache on your cake serving plate and place your first layer on top of that.
• Slide a few pieces of parchment or foil just under the edges to keep the plate clean.
• Stack your cake layers with about a ½ cup of ganache spread between each layer.
• Once your layers are stacked, you are ready for a crumb coat: frost the top and sides of the cake with a very thin layer of ganache and place in the refrigerator to firm up.
• Once cold and firm to the touch, you can lay your thick, decorative layer of frosting on the cake without worrying about loose crumbs ruining your design - have fun!
• When you are done frosting, carefully pull out the parchment or foil from under the cake and touch up the bottom if needed.
• Cakes can easily dry out in the refrigerator so unless it is very warm, this cake can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 2 days. For longer storage, freeze the cake in an airtight container for up to two months. To defrost, leave at room temperature in the covered container for a few hours. Extra ganache can be refrigerated for up to two weeks or frozen in an airtight container for up to two months.

A GOOEY, DECADENT CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the cooled chocolate and vanilla and beat for 3 minutes to incorporate. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for another 3 minutes. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients in three batches, alternating with the cold water. Beat for 1 minute after each addition to incorporate the ingredients. Mix until the batter is smooth.
• Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Cut 2 circles of parchment paper to fit the pan bottoms and place them inside the pans; then spray the paper for added non-stick insurance. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the surface with a spatula; the pans should be two-thirds full. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. The cake is cooked when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when touched. Leave to cool for 40 minutes.
• Turn the cakes out of the pans and remove the paper. Drizzle them with a few tablespoons of raspberry liqueur. With a metal spatula, spread 1/2 cup Chocolate Chip Buttercream on top of one of the layers. Start in the center and work your way out. Carefully place the second layer on top. Smooth the sides with buttercream, and then spread the rest over the top so that the cake is completely covered. Refrigerate for 5 minutes before decorating or cutting.
• With a large knife, scrape some shavings from a block of dark chocolate. Scatter the shavings over the cake.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, dissolve the powdered sugar and water at low speed. Beat in the dark chocolate and vanilla. Add the butter gradually in small bits. Mix until everything is completely incorporated. Using a spatula, fold in the chopped chocolate and give a final quick spin.

DECADENT CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Generously spray a 10-inch Bundt pan with cooking spray.
• Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom, and salt in a medium bowl. Combine the cocoa and espresso powder in a small bowl. Pour the boiling water over the cocoa mixture, whisking until smooth. Stir in the vanilla.
• Whisk together the yogurt, milk, oil, egg, and egg white in a large bowl; stir in the cocoa mixture until blended. Gradually add the flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Stir in the currants and chopped chocolate.
• Pour the batter into the pan. Bake in the center of the oven until a cake tester inserted in the cake comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool on a baking rack for 10 minutes, then turn the cake out onto a baking rack to cool completely. Dust generously with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

CHOCOLATE DECADENCE CAKE I

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 10 inch round pan and line bottom with parchment paper.
• Chop chocolate squares and place in a large bowl with chocolate chips. Add melted butter. Heat water and 1 1/2 cups sugar in a saucepan until boiling, then pour over chocolate. Stir until smooth.
• In a separate bowl, whip eggs with remaining 1/4 cup sugar until thick. Fold into chocolate mixture. Pour batter into 10 inch pan.
• Place 10 inch pan on a cookie sheet in the oven and fill the cookie sheet with water.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 40 to 50 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool and refrigerate for several hours. Be extremely careful not to burn yourself on the hot water when removing the sheet pan from the oven.
• Dip the pan in hot water to remove cooled cake. Garnish with whipped cream and serve.