THE FIVE CHOCOLATES CHOCOLATE CAKE

By remystarr

If you don’t want to do the three different icings you can pick one and just use that one. This cake will work with your favorite icing too if you want a classic buttercream or a raspberry icing. While there are quite a few steps, each process is fairly simple. If you choose to make each of the three icings, then it will take some time and you’ll want to make it in a certain order. First prepare and bake the cake layers. Slice each cake layer into two–leaving four total layers–and cool completely while preparing the filling and icing. Spread the dark chocolate filling between the layers and ice the cake with the milk chocolate frosting. Lastly, prepare the chocolate ganache topping and spread that over the top of the iced cake. Refrigerate the cake to set the ganache. Avoid making the cake, filling, frosting and ganache all ahead of time as the ganache will harden and so could the frosting.

Ingredients

• CHOCOLATE CAKE:
• 1 pound (2 cups plus 2 1/2 tablespoons) sugar
• 3 ounces (1 cup) good unsweetened cocoa powder
• 6 ounces (1 1/4 cup) bread flour
• 7 ounces (1 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon) cake flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5 eggs
• 1 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup freshly brewed strong coffee
• 10 ounces (2 1/2 sticks) butter, melted
• Dark Chocolate Filling and Milk Chocolate Frosting
• 4 ounces good milk chocolate, chopped
• 6 ounces good semi sweet chocolate, chopped (separated in half)
• 4 ounces good dark chocolate (60 or 70% cocoa), chopped
• 1 pound 4 ounces unsalted (5 sticks) butter
• 1 pound (4-5 cups) powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/4 cup cream
• Super Dark Chocolate Ganache
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 ounces good 100% cocoa bar, chopped
• 4 ounces good dark chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped
• 3 ounces good semi dark chocolate (60% cocoa), chopped

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from chasingdelicious.com

Preparation

Step 1

CAKE:
1. Preheat an oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of two 9 inch cake pans with parchment paper then butter and flour both pans.
2. Sift the dry ingredients together (sugar, cocoa, flours, baking powder and soda, and salt) and mix. Set aside.
3. Beat the eggs for a minute. Add the buttermilk, sour cream and vanilla and mix until homogeneous.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and mix until combined and there are no lumps.
5. Add the melted butter and brewed coffee. Mix until fully blended in.
6. Pour the batter between the prepared pans. Bake in a preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs still attached (but not wet). Mine baked 37 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven and let cook in the pans. Remove from the pan and let cool completely before icing.

Dark Chocolate Filling and Milk Chocolate Frosting
1. Bring a small pot of water to a simmer. Place 4 ounces milk chocolate and 3 ounces semi sweet chocolate in a large glass or metal bowl. Place the 4 ounces dark chocolate and the remaining 3 ounces semi sweet chocolate in a separate large bowl.
2. Place one of the bowls over the pot of simmering water and stir the chocolate until it is melted and smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and set aside.
3. Repeat step 2 with the other bowl of chocolate.
4. In a bowl of a stand mixer, or a separate bowl, beat the butter for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar mix until incorporated and smooth. Add the cream and vanilla and mix until blended in.
5. Split the butter and sugar mixture amongst the two bowls of chocolate. Place 60% of the mixture in the milk chocolate bowl and the remaining 40% of the mixture in the dark chocolate bowl.
6. Keeping the two frostings separate, mix each until the chocolate and butter mixture are blended. Don’t over mix or whip–you want to avoid incorporating air. Add more powdered sugar and mix until blended if the frosting looks too thin. You can add a little cream if the frosting looks too thick.
7. Divide the dark chocolate filling into three equal portions and place between each layer of cake.
8. Use the milk chocolate frosting to frost the cake. Try doing a thin crumb layer of frosting first–use just enough to cover the cakethough you will see some cake poking through–refrigerate for 10 to 30 minutes to let this thin layer harden, then apply the rest of the icing. This will help keep crumbs from pulling up during the icing part.

Super Dark Chocolate Ganache
1. Place all the chopped chocolate in a metal or glass bowl. Set aside.
2. Bring the cream to a boil in a small sauce pan. Remove from the heat and let all the bubbles settle. Once the cream has cooled slightly, but is still steaming, pour it into the bowl with the chocolate.
3. Whisk the cream and chocolate mixture until completely smooth.
4. Let the ganache cool slightly before pouring over the cake. Starting at the center of the top of the cake add a little at a time and use a frosting spatula to control the flow of the ganache.
5. Refrigerate the cake for a while to let the ganache set.