Chocolate Cake with Ganache Frosting

Moist chocolate cake, covered with more chocolate. You don’t have to be chocoholic to love this cake!


for the cake:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 cup / 2 sticks / 225 g unsalted butter
  • ¾ cups brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks
  • 6 oz / 170 g dark chocolate
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup buttermilk

for the ganache:

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
  • ⅛ tsp salt
  • 1 lb / 450 g bittersweet chocolate

  1. Have all ingredients at room temperature. Preheat oven to 350° F / 180° C. Line two 8 ” / 20 cm cake pans with parchment paper. Whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Melt dark chocolate and set aside.
  2. Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer, until light and fluffy. Add eggs and yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in chocolate and vanilla. With mixer on low, alternately add flour mixture in three parts and buttermilk in two, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
  3. Divide batter equally between cake pans and smooth tops. Bake for 40-45 mins, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 15 mins in pans, take out of pans and cool completely on wire racks.
  4. While cake is cooling, make the ganache. Mix cream, confectioners’ sugar and salt in a saucepan, bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add chopped chocolate. Let stand for a minute and after that whisk until combined. Refrigerate for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until spreadable.
  5. Place one cake on a serving platter, and spread over ⅓ of the ganache. Place second cake on top, and spread remaining ganache over top and sides of cake. For easy elegant finish, make rough curls in ganache, using the back of a spoon.