-FOR THE CAKE-
1 3/4 c Boiling water
6 oz Semisweet chocolate,chopped
.coarsely
1 c Unsweetened cocoa powder
2 c Sifter cake flour
2 ts Baking soda
1/4 ts Salt
10 oz Unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 c Packed dark brown sugar
4 lg Eggs
2 ts Vanilla
———————-FOR THE CHOCOLATE GANACHE———————-
1/2 c Heavy cream
2 tb Unsalted butter
4 oz Semisweet chocolate,chopped
-finely
-FOR THE FROSTING-
2 1/2 Sticks (1 1/4 cups) + 2 T
Unsalted butter, softened
4 1/2 c Confectioners’ sugar
1 c Unsweetened cocoa powder
2 ts Vanilla
1/4 c + 2 T milk
1. MAKE THE CAKE: Preheat oven to 350F. Butter two 9-inch cake pans,
and line the bottoms with circles of wax paper, then butter and flour
the paper. 2. In a medium bowl, pour the boiling water over the
chopped chocolate. Set aside for 5 minutes. Add the cocoa and stir
until the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
4. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter and brown
sugar and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each
addition. Beat in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture and half the
chocolate mixture. Beat on low speed to combine, and then on high for
1 1/2 minutes. Add the remaining chocolate mixture and beat on low
speed to combine. 5. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake
for 30-40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes
out clean. Set the cake pans on a wire rack to cool for 20
minutes.Then invert the cakes onto the racks to cool completely. 6.
TO MAKE THE GANACHE: In a small saucepan, bring the cream and the
butter to a simmer. Add the chocolate, cover for 5 minutes, then stir
until smooth. Refrigerate the ganache until firm enough to spread. 7.
TO MAKE THE FROSTING: In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, cream
the butter. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar and cocoa.
Beat one-third of the sugar-cocoa mixture into the butter. Mix in the
vanilla. Add the rest of the sugar-cocoa mixture alternately with the
milk and beat until the frosting is smooth. 8. TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE:
Top one layer with the ganache. Add the second layer of cake and
frost the sides, and then the top. Decoratively pipe frosting around
the base and top edges of the cake.
Yields
1 9″ cake