Description
An ultra-moist, tender chocolate cake draped in a glossy, silky chocolate ganache. Deep cocoa flavor, melt-in-your-mouth crumb, and a bakery-quality finish at home.
Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour: 2 cups
- Granulated Sugar: 2 cups
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: 3/4 cup
- Baking Powder: 2 teaspoons
- Baking Soda: 1 1/2 teaspoons
- Salt: 1 teaspoon
- Large Eggs: 2
- Whole Milk: 1 cup
- Vegetable Oil: 1/2 cup
- Vanilla Extract: 2 teaspoons
- Boiling Water or Hot Coffee: 1 cup
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate (finely chopped): 8 ounces
- Heavy Cream: 1 cup
- Unsalted Butter: 2 tablespoons
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- Whisk flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until evenly combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla until smooth. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
- Stir in the boiling water or hot coffee until the batter is smooth and fairly thin.
- Divide batter evenly between prepared pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely.
- For ganache, heat cream in a saucepan until just simmering. Pour over chopped chocolate, let sit 2 minutes, then whisk until glossy. Whisk in butter until fully melted.
- Let ganache thicken slightly at room temperature, then spread over the first cake layer, top with the second layer, and finish with a smooth coating on top and sides.
- Rest the cake 20 to 30 minutes for the ganache to set before slicing. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
- Note: Use hot coffee instead of water to deepen chocolate flavor without adding bitterness.
- Chill cooled layers, wrapped, for cleaner stacking and frosting.
- Dip a sharp knife in hot water and wipe dry between cuts for neat slices.
- If ganache becomes too thin, cool a few more minutes and stir again.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 430
- Sugar: 35 g
- Sodium: 260 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 56 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg