Extra Dark Chocolate Cake

You guys know I have a major sweet tooth, so I jump at any opportunity to celebrate with dessert. This Valentine’s Day, I decided an extra dark chocolate cake would be totally appropriate… plus I was inspired by my recent trip to Molly’s Cupcakes while in Chicago last weekend. Long story short, this is probably the best cake I’ve ever made. I’m not kidding. It is SO good!

This cake is super rich and dense, filled with silky whipped icing and topped with chocolate ganache. The final touch? It’s garnished with chocolate shards that add the perfect texture. Here’s what you need to make it…

INGREDIENTS:

Chocolate Cake:
1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 ¾ cup sugar
¾ cup dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
2 extra-large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
½ cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup fresh brewed coffee
3 oz. semi-sweet chocolate

Chocolate Ganache / Frosting:
2 cups heavy cream
16 oz. semi-sweet chocolate

Chocolate Shards:
4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
2 sheets of parchment paper

Ready to get started? It’s really an easy cake to make, with no fuss decorating! See the instructions below…

For the Chocolate Cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line three 8-inch cake pans with parchment and grease. In a small bowl, pour 1 cup of hot coffee over 3 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Allow the chocolate to dissolve and mix well. Set aside.

Prep your dry ingredients: in a large bowl, measure 1 ¾ cup flour, 1 ¾ cup sugar, ¾ cup cocoa, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir these ingredients until well combined.

In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup buttermilk, ½ cup oil, 2 eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Whisk until well blended.

With the mixer on low speed, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients slowly. Next, add the coffee and chocolate mixture. Continue to mix on low speed until combined. Divide the batter into 3 pans and bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

For the Chocolate Shards:
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt 4 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate, in 30 second intervals. Stir until smooth. Pour onto a 12″ x 16″ sheet of parchment paper and smooth flat with an offset spatula. Place another sheet of parchment paper of the same size directly on top. Smooth flat with with hands or rolling pin. Roll up like a scroll and refrigerate for 1 hour.

For the Chocolate Ganache / Frosting:
In a large mixing bowl, dump 16 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips. In a microwave-safe measuring cup, heat 2 cups of heavy cream for 3 minutes. Pour the hot cream over the chips and stir until mixed. Place in refrigerator for 1 hour. After the allotted time and after cakes are completely cool, whip ¾ of the chocolate cream mixture for 3 minutes- until peaks form. Heat the remaining fourth in the microwave for 1 minute and leave out to slightly cool (this is the ganache).

Assembly:
Dollop frosting onto the top of the first cake and smooth to edges (be generous). Repeat with the following layer and once the top layer as been added, pour the reserved ganache over top. After the ganache has completely cooled, remove the rolled chocolate parchment from the fridge, unroll and garnish shards on top of cake. Chill before serving!

If you’re anything like me, trying to avoid the crowds this Valentine’s Day, this is the perfect indulgent recipe to stay in and bake! This romantic recipe pairs perfectly with red wine (and Netflix).

Wishing you all a lovely weekend and Valentine’s Day!

*I adapted this cake recipe, trading a few ingredients and doubling the frosting.