Chocolate Drip Cake
Servings 8 slices
Ingredients
**For the Dark Chocolate Cake:**
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour about 250 grams
- ¾ cup of Dutch process cocoa powder around 60 grams
- 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon of baking soda
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- 2 cups of granulated white sugar approximately 400 grams
- ¾ cup of softened unsalted butter about 168 grams
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups of buttermilk at room temperature (about 300 milliliters)
- ½ cup of hot coffee about 120 milliliters
**For the Dark Chocolate Buttercream:**
- 1 ½ cups of softened unsalted butter about 336 grams
- 6 ounces of chopped dark chocolate melted and slightly cooled (about 170 grams)
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons of Dutch process cocoa powder about 50 grams
- 3 cups of powdered sugar about 390 grams
- 4-6 tablespoons of heavy cream about 60-90 milliliters
**For the Dark Chocolate Ganache:**
- 3 ounces of chopped dark chocolate about 85 grams
- ½ cup of heavy cream about 120 milliliters
Instructions
**For the Dark Chocolate Cake:**
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease 3 6-inch cake pans with non-stick spray, line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds, and set them aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and granulated sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing until smooth.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients and buttermilk to the butter mixture, alternating between them, and mixing until smooth. Stir in the hot coffee.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cake pans and bake for 39-44 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
**For the Dark Chocolate Buttercream:**
- In a large bowl, whip the softened butter until pale and fluffy. Mix in the melted chocolate until combined.
- Sift in the cocoa powder and powdered sugar, then gradually add the heavy cream until the frosting is light and fluffy.
**Assembling the Cake:**
- Level the cooled cake layers by removing the domed tops.
- Apply a thin layer of buttercream between each layer of cake to create a crumb coat. Chill the cake for 30 minutes.
- Apply a final layer of buttercream to the chilled cake and smooth it out.
- Make the chocolate ganache by heating cream until steaming, then pouring it over chopped chocolate. Stir until smooth and let it cool slightly.
- Pour the ganache over the chilled cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. Chill the cake until the ganache sets.
- Pipe decorative swirls of buttercream on top of the cake and garnish with chocolate pieces or shavings.