Triple Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

• 1 cup dark chocolate chips (180g)
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature (112g)
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (226g)
• 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar (500g)
• 4 large eggs, room temperature (224g)
• 1 cup hot, strong coffee (240g)
• 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature (240g)
• 1 cup unsweetened baking cocoa (100g)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (4g)
• 3 cups self-rising cake flour (360g)
• 1 cup water (240g)
• 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (30g)
• 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature (454g or 1 lb.)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (4g)
• 1/2 tsp fine salt (3g)
• 5 cups powdered sugar (625g)
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature (112g)
• 1 cup sifted, unsweetened baking cocoa (80g)
• 1 1/3 cups milk chocolate chips, melted and cooled (240g)
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips (45g)
• 1/4 cup mini white chocolate chips (45g)
• Open Star (Wilton 1M frosting tip)
• Petal (Wilton 103 frosting tip)
• Small French frosting tip

Instructions

1. 1

   --- Dark Chocolate Ganache Filling ---

2. 2

   Make the chocolate ganache filling first, because it needs time to cool and set.

3. 3

   Place 1 cup dark chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl and set aside.

4. 4

   Heat 1/2 cup of heavy cream in a heatproof bowl in the microwave for 45 seconds to 1 minute, until it's steaming and just starting to bubble. If you don’t have a microwave or prefer to use the stove top, you can heat the cream over a medium heat in a pan until it begins to simmer. Remove from heat.

5. 5

   Gently pour the heavy cream over the chocolate, making sure it's fully covered with cream. Allow the mixture to sit for 1-2 minutes.

6. 6

   Stir slowly until the cream and chocolate are fully combined and mixture is smooth.

7. 7

   Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to cool to room temperature. The mixture should get thicker as it cools.

8. 8

   --- Chocolate Cake Layers ---

9. 9

   Preheat oven to 350 F / 175 C and line three 8-inch pans with parchment rounds and spray with non-stick baking spray.

10. 10

    Add 1 cup butter and 2 1/2 cups sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on high for 1 minute with a whisk attachment until the mixture becomes light in color.

11. 11

    Add in 4 large eggs, two at a time. Mix on medium high until they're fully incorporated.

12. 12

    In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 cup of hot coffee, 1 cup of buttermilk, 1 cup of baking cocoa powder and 1 tsp of vanilla extract until no clumps remain.

13. 13

    Next, mix 1 cup of self-rising cake flour into the butter/egg mixture on a low speed. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure the flour is fully incorporated.

14. 14

    Pour in half of the buttermilk/cocoa mixture and mix on a low speed.

15. 15

    Repeat with next cup of cake flour and the remaining cocoa mixture.

16. 16

    Add in the last cup of self-rising cake flour and mix on low until the flour is just incorporated.

17. 17

    Pour the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 28-32 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.

18. 18

    Let the cake layers cool in the pans for 10 minutes then run an offset spatula around the edge of the pans to help separate the layers from the pans.

19. 19

    Place the pans in the freezer for 30 minutes to speed the cooling process. Once the layers are fully cooled carefully flip the pans and remove the layers from the pans.

20. 20

    Use a serrated knife to level the tops of the layers, then cut each cake layer in half horizontally to make six thin cake layers. Set aside. If you're making these in advance, wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze them.

21. 21

    --- Chocolate Simple Syrup ---

22. 22

    Pour the granulated sugar, water, and cocoa powder into a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, and whisking continuously until the mixture starts to boil.

23. 23

    Remove from heat and pour into a medium-sized bowl to cool to room temperature, then cover and set aside. If you're making this in advance, it can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

24. 24

    --- Chocolate Buttercream Frosting ---

25. 25

    Beat the butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment until smooth.

26. 26

    Add in the vanilla extract and salt, and mix on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated.

27. 27

    Slowly mix in the powdered sugar on the lowest speed. Half way through, add in the heavy cream to make the frosting easier to mix. Place a half a cup of white frosting in a small piping fit with a coupler and set aside.

28. 28

    Mix the sifted cocoa and cooled, melted semi-sweet chocolate into the remaining frosting on a low speed until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached.

29. 29

    Place 1 1/2 cups of chocolate frosting in a piping bag fit with a Wilton 1M round tip and set aside. Cover the rest of the frosting with plastic wrap to prevent crusting and set aside.

30. 30

    --- Assembling this Triple Chocolate Cake ---

31. 31

    Stack and frost cake layers on a greaseproof cake board, using a dab of chocolate buttercream to help stick the first cake layer to the board. After you add each cake layer, use a silicone brush to soak the top of the cake layer with chocolate simple syrup.

32. 32

    Spread an even layer of chocolate buttercream on top of the first cake layer with a large offset spatula. Add the next cake layer and soak it with chocolate simple syrup. Pipe a ring of chocolate buttercream around the edge, then spread about 1/3 cup of dark chocolate ganache inside the ring. Repeat this pattern with the remaining cake layers to create alternating layers of filling.

33. 33

    Cover the cake in a thin coat of chocolate buttercream. Smooth using a bench scraper, then chill the cake in the fridge (20 minutes) or freezer (10 minutes) until the buttercream is firm to the touch.

34. 34

    Add a second, thicker layer of chocolate buttercream to the cake. If desired, add a few dabs of dark chocolate ganache and white buttercream around the cake and smooth using a bench scraper to create a marbled look.

35. 35

    Decorated the top of the cake with buttercream dollops and your favorite chocolates. I used chocolate chunks, mini chocolate chips, and chocolate buttercream.