Ingredients
Scale
Chocolate Cake
- 2½ cups (313 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (64 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1¼ cups (300 ml) buttermilk, room temperature
- ¾ cup (180 ml) neutral vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240 ml) hot brewed coffee
Chocolate Buttercream
- 2 cups (454 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 6 cups (720 g) powdered sugar
- ¾ cup (64 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 6 oz (170 g) milk chocolate, melted and cooled
- Up to ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pinch of fine salt
Dark Chocolate Ganache
- 8 oz (227 g) semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- ¾ cup (180 ml) heavy cream
Vanilla Cream Accents
- ½ cup (120 ml) cold heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Topping
- 4–5 long chocolate-covered wafer bars
- 5–6 thin chocolate wafer sticks
- 5–6 chocolate sandwich-cookie halves
- 8–10 small chocolate truffles or balls
- 4–5 irregular pieces of chocolate
- Chocolate buttercream rosettes from the buttercream above
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease three 8-inch square cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper and lightly grease the parchment.
- Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Break up any cocoa lumps.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla until combined.
- Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix just until mostly combined. Slowly stir in the hot coffee. The finished batter will be relatively thin; this is normal.
- Divide the batter evenly among the three pans. For the most even layers, use a kitchen scale to divide the batter by weight.
- Bake for 27–32 minutes. Begin checking early. The cakes are ready when the centers spring back lightly and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter.
- Cool in the pans for 10–15 minutes. Carefully turn the layers onto wire racks, remove the parchment, and cool completely before frosting.
- For the buttercream, beat the softened butter for 3–4 minutes until creamy. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar and cocoa powder.
- Add the melted chocolate only after it has cooled enough that it is no longer hot. Beat in the vanilla and salt. Add heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time until the frosting spreads easily but can still hold a firm piped peak. You may not need the full ½ cup.
- If necessary, trim prominent domes from the completely cooled cake layers. Place one layer on a sturdy cake board. Spread with buttercream. Repeat with the second and third layers.
- Cover the entire cake with a thin crumb coat. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Apply the final buttercream layer. Keep the four sides fairly straight while retaining a slightly homemade texture. Chill for another 15–20 minutes.
- Make the ganache. Place the finely chopped semisweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until steaming and just approaching a simmer. Pour it over the chocolate and leave for 2 minutes. Stir slowly until smooth.
- Allow the ganache to cool and thicken. Test one drip on the back of the cold cake. If it races downward, wait longer. Once ready, create irregular drips around the top edge, leaving some longer than others.
- Pipe a thick crown of chocolate buttercream rosettes and swirls over the top.
- Beat the cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until firm peaks form. Add a few small vanilla cream accents between the chocolate swirls.
- Insert the longest chocolate-covered wafer bars and sticks first. Position them vertically and diagonally through the center. Add cookie halves, truffles, broken chocolate, and shorter wafer pieces around them.
- Refrigerate the decorated cake for about 30 minutes to firm the frosting and stabilize the chocolate crown. Allow the buttercream to soften slightly before serving.
Notes
- Do not add extra flour because the chocolate batter appears thin.
- All cake layers must be completely cool before assembly.
- Room-temperature eggs and buttermilk mix into the batter more evenly.
- Add the heavy cream to the buttercream gradually. The full amount may make it too soft in a warm kitchen.
- The melted milk chocolate must be cooled before entering the buttercream.
- Always test the ganache on one inconspicuous area before making all the drips.
- Chill the frosted cake before adding ganache.
- Add crisp wafers and cookies closer to serving when possible, since prolonged refrigeration can soften them.
- The finished design should not be perfectly symmetrical. Different drip lengths and chocolate heights reproduce the crowded homemade celebration look.
- Nutrition varies significantly according to the chocolates, wafers, cookies, truffles, and portion size used.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Additional Time:: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Cooking Tips & Techniques
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American