Chocolate Cake IV

By ezunich

Ingredients

• Coffee Liqueur Ganache Icing:
• PAM Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
• CRISCO Vegetable Shortening
• 1/2 (4-ounce) semisweet chocolate baking bar, chopped
• 1/2 (4-ounce) bittersweet chocolate baking bar, chopped
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups firmly packed DOMINO Light Brown Sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups cake flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup boiling water
• Garnish: dark chocolate curls
• 3 (4-ounce) bittersweet chocolate baking bars, finely chopped
• 1 1/4 cups whipping cream
• 1 tbs butter
• 2 tbs coffee liqueur
• Mocha-Chocolate Cream Filling:
• 5 tbs all-purpose flour
• 2 tbs unsweetened cocoa
• 2 tbs instant coffee granules
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup DOMINO 10X Confectioners Sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation

Step 1

1. Coat 3 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray. Line bottoms of pans with wax paper; grease wax paper with shortening, and set aside.

2. Melt chocolates in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth.

3. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears after each addition. Stir in melted chocolate and vanilla.

4. Sift together cake flour and next 3 ingredients; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk ending with flour mixture. Beat on low speed just until blended. Stir in 1 cup boiling water. Pour batter into prepared pans.

5. Bake at 350° for 28 to 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick is inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

6, Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate; spread top with 4 tablespoons Coffee Liqueur Ganache Icing. Spread half of Mocha-Chocolate Cream Filling evenly over ganache on cake layer. Top with second cake layer; spread top with 4 tablespoons Coffee Liqueur Ganache Icing and remaining Mocha-Chocolate Cream Filling. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining Coffee Liqueur Ganache Icing on top and sides of cake. Garnish, if desired.

Coffee Liqueur Ganache Icing:

1. Place chocolate in a bowl.

2. Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium heat just until cream begins to boil. Pour over chocolate in bowl, stirring until smooth. Stir in butter and liqueur. Let mixture stand 45 minutes or until spreading consistency.

Mocha-Chocolate Cream Filling:

1. Whisk together first 4 ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, 5 minutes or until thickened. Spoon mixture into a small bowl; cover sutiace of mixture with plastic wrap, pressing wrap onto sutiace, and let stand 30 minutes or until cool.

2. Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually add cooled cocoa mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Add vanilla, beating until mixture is the consistency of whipped cream.