Triple Layer Chocolate Cake with Ganache Icing
The title says it all. It’s a fudgy triple layer chocolate cake with ganache icing. It’s a must-bake cake if you’re a chocolate lover. And, bonus, mr. uglyducklingbakery and I think this cake might actually taste better after it’s been carefully frozen and defrosted.
The story
This is the second of the birthday cake recipes for my 50th birthday cake-a-palooza in May. Cake #1 was the tiramisu cake, which has since been updated.
This triple layer chocolate cake was also created for the reddit 52 weeks of baking challenge. The instructions for the Week 14 Childhood Favorite are to share the memory that goes along with your bake.
I don’t have a lot of childhood memories of baked goods. My maternal grandmother was supposedly a great baker, but I mostly remember the Linzer cookies she brought when she came to visit us. My mother baked a few things like banana bread and brownies and an apple or pecan pie for Thanksgiving. But every birthday, she would make a chocolate cake from scratch.
Sadly I don’t know where her recipe came from. I’m jealous of all of folks who have recipes that have been passed down for generations. I have all of my mother’s cookbooks, but she only infrequently left notes. As I cook and bake, I’m leaving all sorts of fingerprints for my kiddo to read in the future.
Tips and tricks for this recipe
The recipe source
This cake is only slightly adapted from the Epicurious double chocolate layer cake. The biggest adaptation is the change from two 10″ diameter cake pans to three 9″ pans. As a result, the chocolate ganache icing needed to be scaled up because of the extra layer. No one is complaining.
Making the chocolate cake layers
I recommend melting the chocolate for both the cake layers and the icing in a double boiler because you have more control that way. Don’t wash it in between.
It’s a pretty liquid cake batter that bakes for a long-ish time at a low-ish temperature. As a result, the layers bake tops so perfectly flat that they make even my decorating skills look decent. Mr. uglyducklingbakery requests this cake for his birthday every year.
Cake assembly
The chocolate cake layers are very moist, so they cool completely in the pans. Take care when removing the layers as you assemble the cake..
In order to remove the cake layers from the cake pans (panel #1, below), gently run a thin knife or spatula around the pan. Place a wire cooling rack upside down on top of the cake (panel #2). Turn the rack and cake pan over (panel #3).
Tap gently on the cake pan to get it to release from the pan (panel #4). Peel off the parchment paper (panels #5 and #6), and then carefully invert the cake layer onto your cake stand.
FAQs about this triple layer chocolate cake with chocolate ganache icing
Do you have to do anything? No. But there is so much variation in how people measure that you are much more likely to get a reliable result if you weigh your ingredients.
That is likely to result in the layers over-rising the pans. You can see from my pic that they were close to the top. If you only have two pans, you would want to bake two layers, let the cakes and pans cool, and then bake the third layer.
Absolutely, especially if you decorate the cake simply like I do. After the cake has been in the refrigerator overnight, cut the cake into family sized portions. Double-wrap each piece in plastic wrap and then place it in a plastic bag with as much air removed as possible. When you want to eat a piece, remove it from the refrigerator, unwrap it and put it on a plate, and let it come to room temperature before serving. We actually think this cake tastes even better after being frozen and defrosted than it does baked fresh.
You can freeze frostings and have a variety for a batch of cupcakes. Or use extra frosting for cake balls or cake pops the next time you have a cake failure. Because they happen to all of us.
Related recipes
Check out other Ugly Duckling Bakery cake recipes like:
purple velvet cake
chocolate orange cake
peanut butter chocolate ganache drip cake
blackberry lemon bread
Earl Grey lavender cake
Or, if it’s chocolate you love, try these triple chocolate crinkle cookies.
Fudgy triple layer chocolate cake with ganache icing
Equipment
- Mixer
Ingredients
Triple cake layers
- butter for greasing cake pans
- 3 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled to touch
- 2½ cups (312 grams) bleached, all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups (144 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder plus extra for dusting cake pans
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs
- 3 cups (600 grams) granulated sugar
- 1½ cup coffee, cooled
- 1½ cup buttermilk
- ¾ cup neutral vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Chocolate ganache icing
- 1½ pounds semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
- 1½ cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons corn syrup
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes and softened
Instructions
Triple cake layers
- Preheat the oven to 300°F.
- Lightly butter three 9 inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and butter the paper. Use unsweetened cocoa powder to "flour" the pans and set aside.butter, 1½ cups (144 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
- Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl.2½ cups (312 grams) bleached, all-purpose flour, 1½ cups (144 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 teaspoon baking powder, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt
- In a bowl of a stand mixer or large bowl if using a hand mixer, beat the eggs on medium speed until pale yellow, about 3 to 5 minutes.3 eggs
- Add the sugar and beat for a couple of minutes.3 cups (600 grams) granulated sugar
- Add the cooled chocolate and mix, then add coffee, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla.3 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled to touch, 1½ cup buttermilk, ¾ cup neutral vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1½ cup coffee, cooled
- Add the dry ingredients and combine on low speed for 1 minute or by hand until just combined.
- Divide equally into the prepared pans. Before putting them in the oven, knock them gingerly on the countertop once or twice to remove any air bubbles.
- Bake for about 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the edges are just starting to pull away from the side of the pan.
- Cool cake layers in the pan. You may need to run a spatula or knife around the edge of the cake pans to get the layers to release from the pan.
Chocolate ganache icing
- Melt the chocolate in a double boiler and cool.1½ pounds semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
- Combine the cream, sugar, and corn syrup in a small pan and heat just until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and cool.1½ cup heavy cream, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons corn syrup
- When the chocolate and cream mixture have cooled to touch, put them into the bowl of your stand mixer or a mixing bowl and beat on medium speed. (I know it's hard to wait, but f you try to mix everything before they're cool, the icing still will be too thin to frost the cake.)
- Add butter and beat to get a smooth, spreadable consistency6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes and softened
Notes
Nutrition
What’s next
If you make this fudgy triple layer chocolate cake with ganache icing, please leave a comment here. It really helps!
Looking for inspiration?
Sign up to get recipes full of kitchen tips and tricks.
Previous challenges:
Week 1: New Year new recipe – blueberry galette
Week 2: seasonal – Smitten Kitchen’s grapefruit pound cake
Week 3: Great British Bake Off – Kate’s sticky toffee apple caramel cake
Week 4: Australia – sausage rolls
Week 5: bite sized – cookies
Week 6: Chinese New Year – mushroom bao
Week 7: new tool – baguette baker
Week 8: chocolate – chocolate peanut butter bonbons
Week 9: timed bake – under 1 hour! chocolate chip scones
Week 10: allergy/diet restriction – macarons
Week 11: quick breads – kale bread
Week 12: signature bake – purple cow bread
Week 13: enriched breads (kale and cheese babka fail)
Next week: Decoration Challenge: Monochrome
