Blackout Cake

By davidgoodman

Ingredients

• Chocolate ganache:
• 4 squares (4 oz.) unsweetened chocolate
• 1 1/2 sticks (6 oz.) butter, softened
• 3 c. sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 3 c. flour
• 3 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3/4 c. buttermilk
• 1 1/3 c. boiling water
• 18 oz. bittersweet chocolate (3 c. chocolate chips)
• 1 1/2 c. heavy cream
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 3/4 to 1 c. diced roasted almonds

Details

Servings 12

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 9-inch round cake pans. Dust with flour; tap out excess.

2. Melt chocolate.

3. In large bowl, beat together butter and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until well blended. Add chocolate; beat 1 to 2 minutes.

4. Mix together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to chocolate mixture in 2 additions, alternately with buttermilk. Beat until well blended. With mixer on low speed, add boiling water, and beat until smooth. Batter will be thin. Divide batter between prepared pans.

5. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until cakes test done. Let cool in pans 10 to 15 minutes, then unmold onto racks to cool completely.

6. For chocolate ganache: in 2-quart glass measure, place chocolate heavy cream. Heat in microwave oven on high for 3 minutes or until melted and smooth when stirred. Stir in butter and vanilla.

7. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or more, until ganache holds its shape and is thick enough to spread on cake.

8. Cover a cake layer with a-little more than a third of ganache. Set second layer on top. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining ganache. Garnish with almonds. Refrigerate 3 or 4 hours before serving.