A Week of Treats Day Six

Day 6.

Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache Frosting.

Ganache all over the cake

the birthday girl

The big finale. I got these recipes from my favorite magazine Real Simple. It is by far my favorite magazine because it is all about organizing, how-to's, and new uses for everyday items, just to name a few. I copied many recipes before I had to turn my magazines over for the magazine swap and I am so glad I did because they all sound decadent.
The cake I chose to make for the Big Birthday Celebration Dinner was a Chocolate cake with chocolate ganache frosting. Or what I like to call it Chocolate Coma because when you are done, for real you are done.
If you try this I recommend making the ganache well ahead of time. It takes 5 minutes to prepare but 5 hours to cool and you cannot speed up the process.

Chocolate Ganache Frosting

• 1 Lb. semisweet chocolate, chopped. (I used a bag of semisweet chocolate chips)
• 2 C heavy cream
• pinch kosher salt

In a medium saucepan, bring cream to a bare simmer. Put the chocolate into a heat proof bowl, pour the cream over the chocolate. Add the salt and let stand for 2 minutes. Whisk until melted and smooth. Let cook, stirring occasionally until thick and spreadable, 4-5 hours. Do not try to speed up the cooling process by putting it in the fridge, it will become lumpy.

For the cake:
Chocolate Cake
15 minutes to prepare. 1:45 to bake and cool.

• 1 C unsalted butter, at room temp.
• 3/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 C all purpose flour
• 1 tsp each baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt
• 1 1/2 C sugar
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 1/2 C milk

1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter the pan(s) you desire to make cake in, line with parchment paper, butter the parchment then sprinkle lightly with cocoa powder. If you are making cupcakes there is no need to butter the pan. 
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. Using a mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium high until fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla, then the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. 
4. Reduce mixer to low and add in flour mixture in 3 additions and milk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix until combined make sure not to over mix. 
5. Pour into pan and bake until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 15 minutes.

This cake did NOT last long.

Bake time-
2, 8-inch rounds: 30-35 minutes
2, 9-inch rounds: 25-30 minutes
1, 9X13 inch rectangle: 35-40 minutes
24 cupcakes: 20-25 minutes

6 hours of cooling and my ganache still was not to "frosting" thickness. It may have been my fault because I was cooking and using the oven the entire day so there really was not a cool area for the ganache to sit. It was still the best homemade chocolate cake I have ever tasted.The next day though it was spot on.

she loved the ganache, can you tell?

P.S. Mr. L and I vote that the cake is even better left over night in the fridge.