chocolate blackout cake with coconut buttercream

By MauiDreaming

another bobby flay gem

Ingredients

• for cake:
• 1 +1/4 cups cake flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 Tbsp. ancho chile powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 10 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 +1/2 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
• 1/2 cup hot coffee
• for ganache filling:
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 lb. bittersweet chocolate finely chopped
• 1/2 lb. semisweet chocolate finely chopped
• 1/2 cup toffee bits
• for coconut buttercream:
• 6 large egg yolks
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 2 cups unsalted butter, in pieces at room temperature
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup coconut cream (coco lopez)
• 2 lbs. unsweetened coconut flakes

Preparation

Step 1

for the cake:
preheat oven 350F
lightly butter 2-9 inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper
sift flour, cocoa, chile powder, baking soda, baking powder and alt onto a sheet of waxed paper. sift again.
in a mixer, mix butter and sugar at high speed until smooth and fluffy. add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until each is incoporated. continue beating, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary, until light and fluffy, about 5 more minutes. with mixer on low speed, eat in 1/3 flour mixture. beat in vanilla, half of the buttermilk and half of the coffee, then onther 1/3 of the flour mixture, remaining liquids one at a time and finally remaining flour mixture.
divide batter between cake pans evenly. bake until the centers spring back when lightly pressed, about 30 minutes. cool the cakes on a wire rack.

for ganache filling:
bring cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. place chocolate in a large bowl, pour hot cream over the chocolate and let sit for 1 minute. whisk until combined. place the ganche over a bowl filled with ice water to chill slightly, whisking occasionally, fremove ganache form the ice and whip with a whisk until light and fluffy. fold in the toffee bits.

for coconut buttercream:
in a mixer, using a wire whip attachment, beat the egg yolks at medium- high speed, until creamy and pale yellow, about 5 minutes.
in a nonstick saucepan, combine the syrup and sugar. place over medium-high heat and bring to a full rolling boil without stirring and cook until it reaches soft-ball stage (238-242 degrees F) on a candy thermometer. immediately pour the mixture into a buttered heat proof measuring cup to stop cooking.
add a small amount of the syrup to the beaten yolks, turn the mixer to high speed, and beat for about 5 seconds. continue stopping the mixer , adding syrup, and beating in the same manner until all the syrup is incorporated and the mixture is cooled completely.
add the butter, one piece at a time, beat well between each piece. when all of the butter has been blended in, add the vanilla and coconut cream and beat well.

to assemble:
slice each cake in half horizontally, place first layer down and spread with 1/3 ganache, repeat with next 2 layers and ganache ending with a cake layer. spread a thin layer of the buttercream over the entire cake. this is called a crumb coat. chill the cake for about 30 minutes. frost the cake with remaining buttercream. press coconut into the sides of the cake.