Triple Layer Chocolate Fudge Cake with Ganache Icing

a slice of triple layer chocolate cake with chocolate ganache.

5 from 1 vote

Triple Layer Chocolate Fudge Cake with Ganache Icing

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The title says it all. It's a fudgy triple layer chocolate cake with ganache icing. It's a must-bake chocolate birthday cake for the chocolate lovers in your life.

Prep Time1

Cook Time1

Cooling time3

Total Time5

Course: Cakes

Cuisine: Unspecified

Servings:

Calories: 1019kcal

Author: Joanne Stekler

Equipment

Mixer

Ingredients

Triple cake layers

butter for greasing cake pans
3 ounces (85 grams) semisweet or bittersweet 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 teaspoons 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 teaspoons 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 (85 grams) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, 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. Your chocolate cake batter may not be perfectly smooth, but don't leave any pockets of the cocoa mixture.
Divide the three chocolate cake layers 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. (If you mix everything before they're cool, the icing will be too thin to frost the cake.)
Add butter and beat only until you get a smooth, spreadable consistency for your chocolate ganache. Don't whip the ganache icing or you will lose the fudgy consistency.
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes and softened

Notes

To freeze leftovers of this triple layer chocolate fudge cake, leave it 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.

If your cocoa is clumpy and you don’t have a sifter, you can pass the dry ingredients through a sieve.

If you want to be precise in making the three cake layers even, each cake layer will have about 700 grams of chocolate batter.

Feel free to switch out the fillings and frostings. This three layer chocolate cake works really well with a salted caramel sauce or with peanut butter frosting and a chocolate peanut butter ganache.

Nutrition