DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH GANACHE FROSTING

Dark Chocolate Cake with Ganache Frosting image

My daughter-in-law always makes everyone's favorite cake for their birthday. She does a wonderful job. When her birthday came around, she wanted a dark chocolate cake with dark chocolate frosting. I found a recipe and got inspired. I made some changes and my eight year old granddaughter and I got busy! It was a...

Provided by Carol Crottie

Time 1h25m

Number Of Ingredients 19

Ingredients

1 c butter, unsalted, room temperature, plus more for pans
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa, plus more for pans (i used hershey's)
2 c all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 large egg yolks, room temperature
6 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 c buttermilk
1/2 c vegetable oil
DARK-CHOCOLATE GANACHE FROSTING
2 c whipping cream
1/2 c confectioners' sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 lb bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped, (or bittersweet chocolate chips)s)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans, dust with cocoa, tapping out excess. Line bottom of each pan with parchment paper; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, set aside.
3. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition; beat in melted chocolate, oil, and vanilla.
4. With mixer on low, add flour mixture in three parts and buttermilk in two, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
5. Divide batter between prepared pans; smooth tops and gently tap pans on counter to to remove any air bubbles. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes; run a knife around edge of each pan, invert cakes onto a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Place a cooled cake on a serving platter that has been lined with four triangles of parchment paper. (The paper will be pulled from under cake after frosted.). Spread top of cake with 1/3 of ganache. Place second layer on top, spread remaining ganache over sides of cake. Gently pull parchment papers from beneath cake.
7. FROSTING In a large saucepan, bring 2 cups whipping cream, 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt to a boil. Remove from heat; add 1 pound bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped, or chips, and let stand without stirring for 1 minute. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and whisk just until combined. Pour mixture thru a strainer to eliminate any unmelted lumps of chocolate. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally until spreadable, about 1hour.