Chocolate Layer Cake

The best chocolate cake you'll ever make or taste! This recipe takes the classic Hershey's Black Magic Cake and adds in extra chocolate for the most decadent and moist cake.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 1 15

Total Time 2 15

Servings slices

Calories 635kcal

Author Meghan

Equipment

Two 10-inch round cake pans or three 9-inch round cake pans

Ingredients

For Cake Layers:

3 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate such as Callebaut or Ghirardelli
1½ cups hot brewed coffee
3 cups sugar
2½ cups all purpose flour see note
1½ cups unsweetened cocoa powder not Dutch process
2 teaspoons baking soda
¾ teaspoon baking powder
1¼ teaspoons salt
3 large eggs
¾ cup vegetable oil
1½ cups well-shaken buttermilk see note
¾ teaspoon vanilla

For Ganache Frosting:

1 pound fine-quality semisweet chocolate such as Callebaut or Ghirardelli
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
4 tablespoons butter ½ stick

Instructions

Make Cake Layers:

Preheat oven to 300°F and grease pans. Line bottoms with rounds of wax paper or parchment paper and grease paper.
Finely chop chocolate and combine with hot coffee in a bowl. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
3 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate , 1½ cups hot brewed coffee
In a large bowl sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3 cups sugar, 2½ cups all purpose flour, 1½ cups unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons baking soda, ¾ teaspoon baking powder, 1¼ teaspoons salt
In another bowl with an electric mixer, beat the eggs until thickened slightly and lemon colored (about 3 minutes with a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a hand-held mixer).
3 large eggs
Whisk in by hand the oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate coffee mixture to the eggs until combined well. I do not recommend the mixer for this step or the ingredients will fly out.
¾ cup vegetable oil, 1½ cups well-shaken buttermilk, ¾ teaspoon vanilla
Whisk or fold in the sugar mixture by hand until just combined. Batter will be very thin.
Divide batter between pans and bake in middle of oven until tested inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Cool layers completely in pans on racks. Run a thin knife around edges of pan and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove wax paper and cool layers completely. Cake layers may be made 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature.

Make Frosting:

Finely chop chocolate.
1 pound fine-quality semisweet chocolate
In a 1 ½- to 2-quart saucepan bring cream, sugar, and corn syrup to a boil over moderately low heat, whisking until sugar is dissolved. Remove pan from heat and add chocolate, whisking until chocolate is melted.
1 cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
Cut butter into pieces and add to frosting, whisking until smooth.
4 tablespoons butter
Transfer frosting to a bowl and cool, stirring occasionally, until spreadable (depending on chocolate used it may be necessary to chill frosting to spreadable consistency).
Spread frosting between cake layers and over top and sides. Cake keeps, covered and chilled, 3 days. Bring cake to room temperature before serving.

Notes

For a gluten free cake: Use a measure for measure gluten free flour in place of all purpose flour.

Substitute for buttermilk: in place of 1.5 cups buttermilk, mix 1.5 cups of milk mixed with 1.5 tablespoon of white vinegar, and let sit for 5 minutes before using.

Source: Adapted from Epicurious.com

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