Triple Chocolate Layer Cake

It’s no secret that I love to bake, in fact I am addicted to it. And considering how much I love to bake it’s surprising that I do not have a chocolate cake recipe on my blog. I have baked this cake so many times but never got around getting clicking pictures, well not until my birthday. Yes I baked this cake on my birthday which was on 3rd October. Nothing makes me happier than a rich chocolate cake and this cake was just what I needed to make my day even more special.

Let’s talk a bit about this cake. I call this a triple chocolate layer cake because there are 3 layers of chocolaty goodness going on here!

1. Chocolate Cake

2. Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

3. Chocolate Ganache

This cake is every chocolate lovers dream, I kid you not! I mean just look at all the thick, rich chocolate layers and frosting on the cake. I’m in chocolate heaven!

Talking about the layers of chocolate in this cake, the first one is the of course the Chocolate Cake. The cake is super moist and tender, thanks to the buttermilk and oil in this recipe. I know buttermilk is not something that we always have in our refrigerator, so here’s a quick way to make it. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice in a 1 cup measuring cup and add milk to it till it’s full. Let it sit for 5 minutes and your buttermilk is ready to be used in the recipe. Easy right?

I know I say this often but I’ll say again – do NOT overmix your batter. This is so important, overmixing will result in a tough, hard cake [more gluten] and you don’t want that right? So be gentle while mixing the batter and mix until just combined.

Coming to the second layer of Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting. This frosting has cream cheese, confectioners sugar, heavy cream and salted butter, yes salted. I know majority prefers using unsalted butter in their frosting but I love my frosting with salted butter! This frosting is chocolaty, creamy, smooth and perfect for this chocolate cake. If you prefer unsalted butter in your frosting, you can go ahead and use that, just make sure you add little salt in the frosting then. Also I used heavy cream in this frosting, you can use milk in place but I prefer the cream because it makes the frosting very rich.

This frosting was so good, I kept eating it with a spoon. If you want to cover the entire cake with this frosting, the recipe easily doubles up!

And last but not the least the Chocolate Ganache layer. The recipe for chocolate ganache calls for semi-sweet chocolate chips, cream, ground coffee and a little butter. Why butter? because butter gives the ganache that shiny look that you see in bakeries! I used ground coffee in both my cake and the ganache, as it deepens the chocolate flavors.

Surprise your special someone with this rich triple layer chocolate cake. It cannot get better than this!

Method

Cake

In a bowl sift together all purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, ground coffee and salt. Set aside.

In the steel bowl of your stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or using your hand mixer mix together oil, eggs, vanilla and buttermilk.

Mix on medium speed for 2-3 minutes till well combined.

Start adding the dry ingredients in parts. Do not dump the entire thing in one go, do it in 3-4 parts.

Mix till all dry ingredients are well combined but do not overmix.

Add 1 cup of hot boiling water and mix combined. The batter will be very thin, this is ok.

Pour batter into two 8 inch greased round pan.

Bake at 350 F degrees for 30-35 minutes or till toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the cakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and place on wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting

To make the frosting, take room temperature butter and softened cream cheese in a bowl.

Beat butter and cream cheese till it’s smooth and creamy, around 2-3 minutes.

Add the cocoa powder and 1/2 cup of confectioners sugar. Mix till well combined.

Keep adding 1/2 cup of confectioners sugar till all of it is incorporated, beating at high for 30 seconds after each addition.

Add heavy cream or milk to the frosting.

Beat till the frosting is smooth and creamy and is of desired consistency. Set aside.

Ganache

Melt chocolate chips, heavy cream and coffee together using double-boiler method [ Place the bowl on top of pan of simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water].

Keep whisking the cream and chocolate chips till it’s all melted and smooth. Add 1/2 teaspoon of butter to give your ganache a shiny look.

Place one of the cake layers on the decorating table [with the flat bottom side up].

Assemble the cake

To assemble the cake, apply a layer of chocolate cream cheese frosting on top of one of the cake layers.

Place the other cake layer on top of the frosting [with the flat bottom side up].

Pour chocolate ganache over the top of the cake.
Sprinkle some crushed oreos and grated white chocolate on top. Use the chocolate cream cheese frosting to make the borders around the cake. I used wilton tip 21 to make the border.

* You can skip the ganache and cover the entire cake with chocolate cream cheese frosting if you want. Just double the recipe for the frosting!

* I used salted butter in my frosting, you can use unsalted but make sure to add little salt to it then.

* Make sure eggs are at room temperature before adding them to the batter.

* Use room temperature butter for the frosting but make sure it’s not too soft or almost melting. It should still be firm to touch.

Chocolate Cake

Manali

Rich chocolate layer cake filled with chocolate cream cheese frosting and topped with chocolate ganache! This cake is every chocolate lovers dream!

4 from 2 votes

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Course Dessert

Servings 8 inch round cake

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

• ▢ 1¾ cups all purpose flour
• ▢ 1¾ cups + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• ▢ ¾ cup cocoa powder unsweetened
• ▢ 2 teaspoons baking soda
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground coffee
• ▢ 1 cup buttermilk
• ▢ ¾ cup canola oil [or vegetable oil]
• ▢ 1.25 teaspoons vanilla
• ▢ 2 eggs at room temperature
• ▢ 1 cup boiling water
• ▢ crushed oreo for decoration
• ▢ white chocolate grated, for decoration

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

• ▢ 6 tablespoons butter salted, at room temperature
• ▢ 3 oz cream cheese softened, at room temperature
• ▢ ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ▢ 1.5 cups powdered sugar sifted
• ▢ ⅛ cup cocoa powder
• ▢ 1.5 tablespoons heavy cream [or milk]

Chocolate Ganache

• ▢ 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
• ▢ ¾ cup heavy cream
• ▢ 1 teaspoon coffee
• ▢ ½ teaspoon butter unsalted

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
• Grease two 8 X 2 round cake pans. Set aside.

Chocolate Cake

• In a bowl sift together all purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, ground coffee and salt. Set aside.
• In the steel bowl of your stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or using your hand mixer beat together oil, eggs, vanilla and buttermilk for 2-3 minutes till well combined.
• Add the dry ingredients in 3-4 parts into the wet till well combined but do not overmix.
• Add 1 cup of hot boiling water and mix combined. The batter will be very thin.
• Pour batter into two 8 inch greased round pan.
• Bake at 350 F degrees for 30-35 minutes or till toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Let the cakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and place on wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

• To make the frosting beat butter and cream cheese till it's smooth and creamy, around 2-3 minutes.
• Add the cocoa powder and 1/2 cup of confectioners sugar. Mix till well combined.
• Keep adding 1/2 cup of confectioners sugar till all of it is incorporated, beating at high for 30 seconds after each addition.
• Add heavy cream or milk and beat till the frosting is smooth and creamy. Set aside.

Chocolate Ganache

• Melt chocolate chips, heavy cream, coffee and butter together using double-boiler method.
• Keep whisking the cream and chocolate chips till it's all melted and smooth.

To Assemble The Cake

• Place one of the cake layers on the decorating table [with the bottom side up]
• Apply a layer of chocolate cream cheese frosting on top.
• Place the other cake layer on top of the frosting [with the bottom flat side up]
• Pour chocolate ganache over the top of the cake. Smooth it out with a spatula.
• Sprinkle some crushed oreos and grated white chocolate on top.
• Use the chocolate cream cheese frosting to make the borders around the cake.

Tried this recipe?Mention @cookwithmanali or tag #cookwithmanali!

 Triple Chocolate Layer Cake