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chocolate ganache cake sliced open with strawberries on top on a marble cake stand

Chocolate Ganache Cake

This is the best chocolate ganache cake! It's a rich, fudgy and moist dark chocolate cake frosted with silky smooth whipped chocolate ganache and finished with a chocolate ganache drip. 
5 from 12 votes
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Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 40 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 8 slices

Ingredients
 

For the Chocolate Cake

  • 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • ¾ cup (60 g) Dutch process cocoa powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups (400 g) granulated white sugar
  • ¾ cup (168 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 3 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 ¼ cups (300 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
  • ½ cup  (120 ml) hot coffee

For the Whipped Chocolate Ganache

  • 16 oz (454 g) semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
  • 2 cups (480 ml) heavy cream

For the Chocolate Ganache Drip

  • 3 oz (85 g) semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
  • ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream

Instructions
 

For the Chocolate Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 3 6-inch cake pans with non-stick spray, line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds and set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Then set aside the dry ingredients.
    2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, ¾ cup (60 g) Dutch process cocoa powder, 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
  • In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and granulated sugar with an electric hand mixer on high speed until fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. (If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment.)
    2 cups (400 g) granulated white sugar, ¾ cup (168 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • Then add in the eggs and vanilla and mix on medium then medium-high speed until smooth, pale in color and slightly fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
    3 eggs, at room temperature, 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the butter mixture a little at a time, until all has been added, mixing on low then medium speed for each addition. Mix just until the batter is combined and smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary 
    1 ¼ cups (300 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
  • Add in the hot coffee and mix on low speed just until dispersed through the batter.
    ½ cup  (120 ml) hot coffee
  • Evenly distribute the cake batter between the prepared cake pans. Bake the cakes for 39-44 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the centers. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to completely cool.

For the Whipped Chocolate Ganache

  • To make the chocolate ganache frosting, add the chopped chocolate to a large bowl. Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium low heat just until steaming.
    16 oz (454 g) semi-sweet chocolate, chopped, 2 cups (480 ml) heavy cream
  • Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it stand for 1-2 minutes. Then mix together until the cream and chocolate mix together to form silky chocolate ganache.
  • Let the chocolate ganache come to room temperature. You can speed this us by chilling the ganache in 10 minute intervals. Make sure to mix the ganache well after each 10 minute chilling. When it's at room temperature it should be solid but still pliable.
    (It takes me about 30 minutes in the fridge to chill enough.)
  • Whip the ganache for 3-5 minutes with an electric mixer until it's paler in color and resembles buttercream frosting.

Assembling the Cake

  • STEP ONE Getting Perfectly Sized Cake Layers:
    Once the cakes are completely cooled, make them even by removing the domed tops. With a sharp knife, remove the domed tops from each cake layer until each are flat and can be evenly stacked.
  • STEP TWO Creating a Crumb Coat:
    Then place a dollop of whipped ganache in the center of your cake turntable. Place the first cake layer over it. Then add a generous amount of whipped ganache on top of the cake layer and even it out with your offset spatula, turning the cake turntable as you go. Place the next layer over top and repeat the step. Then place the final layer over the top and place small dollops of frosting on the outsides and top of the cake. Even out the frosting as much as possible with your offset spatula. Then with your cake scraper, scrape the icing across the cake, turning the cake turntable as you go to make this as easy as possible. The frosting should be a thin layer for this step. It ensures the cake's final layer will be free of crumbs. Chill the cake in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  • STEP THREE Final Layer of Frosting:
    Once the cake has chilled in the fridge, remove it and apply the final coating of frosting. You may need to rewhip the frosting at this point. Apply generous dollops of frosting on the sides of the cake and the top of the cake and smooth them out with your offset spatula. Then with your cake scraper even out the frosting, turning the cake turntable as you go, to give you a smooth finish of whipped chocolate ganache on the entire cake. (Work quickly to avoid the ganache getting "stiff" on you.) Then return the cake to the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
  • STEP FOUR Making the Chocolate Ganache Drip:
    When the cake has about 10 minutes left to chill, make the chocolate ganache. Add the chopped chocolate to bowl and set aside. Add the cream to a small sauce pan and heat it over medium heat just until its steaming. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let it stand for 1-2 minutes. Then stir until the chocolate and cream are combined. Let the ganache cool slightly, about 5 minutes, then transfer it to a piping bag. (You can also use a squeeze bottle if you prefer.)
    Once the cake has finished chilling, squeeze chocolate ganache around the top edges of the cake. I always like to do a test drip on the back side of the cake to make sure the ganache is the perfect temperature. You'll want it to be the right consistency so that the drips don't go all the way to the bottom. You'll know it's right when they stop about half way down the cake. If they're hitting the bottom, simply wait a few minutes until the ganache has cooled a little bit more. Having a cold cake also helps to control the drips so that they don't go all the way to the bottom of the cake, so don't skip chilling it! Then squeeze ganache on the top of the cake and smooth it out with an offset spatula or a back of the spoon. (I like to give it a swirl pattern by turning the cake turntable as I go.) Once the ganache drips are on the cake, pop it back in the fridge to chill for about 15 minutes, or until the ganache has set.
    3 oz (85 g) semi-sweet chocolate, chopped, ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
  • STEP FIVE Decorating the Cake: Once the ganache has chilled on the cake, decorate with chocolate covered and sliced strawberries if you wish, then serve the cake!
Keyword cake, cake recipe, chocolate cake, chocolate ganache, chocolate ganache cake, ganache, Valentine's Day
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