Double Chocolate Layer Cake

Chocolate is on my mind day in and day out. It doesn’t help that T loves chocolate too, probably more so than me! Which is why buying 7lbs of chocolate on a weekly basis is not looked down upon. So what does one do with so much chocolate?! Bake an extremely chocolate loaded cake with an equally chocolatey frosting to top it off.

This cake tastes better as it sits and best eaten at room temp. It’s one of the best cakes ever for its light texture, powerful depth of chocolate, and though it looks dense and heavy…its nothing but.

 

Double Chocolate Layer Cake

6 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups hot, brewed coffee
2 ½ cups sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 T salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla 

Frosting:
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 pound dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
*you can crumble any leftover chocolate cake crumbs on top!

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F.
Butter the sides and bottoms of 2 round baking pans. Line the bottom with rounds of wax or parchment paper. Butter the top of the parchment paper (this step is very important to ensure your cake layers release).

In a small bowl, combine the 6 ounces of chopped dark chocolate and 1 1/2 cups hot coffee. Set aside, stirring occasionally to create a smooth mixture.

In a large bowl, stir together the 2 1/2 cups of sugar, 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 1/2 cups cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 3/4 teaspoon baking powder and 1 tablespoon of salt. 

In your stand mixer, or in a bowl using your hand mixer, beat the 3 eggs until they are light yellow and thickened. Slowly add the 3/4 cup canola oil, 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and the chocolate/coffee mixture to the eggs. Beat until combined well. Turn the mixer off, add the sugar/flour/cocoa mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined. The batter will be very thin, for cake batter at least.

*Don’t pour too much batter in as it rises and may result in dripping and burning in your over. Pour any leftover batter into another pan for more cake!

Bake in the center of the oven until a cake tester comes out clean, about an hour (check at 50 minutes, but it may take up to 70 minutes).

When ready, cool the layers completely on cooling racks. After they have cooled, run a paring knife around the edge of the pan. Invert the cakes onto cooling racks. Slowly remove the wax or parchment paper. Set aside.

Frosting:
In a medium saucepan, bring the 1 cup of heavy cream, 2 teaspoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, 2 tablespoons corn syrup and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla to a boil over medium-low heat, whisking occasionally. Remove from heat.

Add the 1 pound of chopped dark chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is fully melted and the mixture is smooth. Add the pieces of butter, a few at a time, stirring each time until smooth. 

Transfer the frosting to a bowl and let it cool, stirring occasionally, until it is smooth and spreadable. You may have to refrigerate the mixture for a while to achieve the right consistency.

Assembly:
Spread a good amount of the frosting on top of one of the cake layers. Spread flat to an inch away from the edge. This will be the filling.

Place the second cake layer on top of the first. Transfer some of the frosting to a small bowl. Use this frosting to spread a very thin layer over the entire cake. This is the crumb coat, which will prevent crumbs from mixing into your final frosting layer. Refrigerate the cake for an hour.

When the crumb coat has hardened, frost the entire cake with the remaining frosting. You can use a bench scraper to get a nice, smooth layer on the edge of your cake. Garnish with leftover cake if desired.

At this point, you can cover and chill the cake, or serve at room temperature.