Ingredients
Scale
Chocolate Cake
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (64 g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) neutral vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240 ml) hot brewed coffee or hot water
Chocolate Frosting
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 1/2 cups (420 g) powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup (64 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) heavy cream, plus more only if needed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pinch of fine salt
Chocolate Ganache
- 6 oz (170 g) semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
Chocolate Topping
Because the original recipe does not give exact weights for the decorations, I recommend standardizing them for your followers. Otherwise, two people can make cakes with very different weight, cost, appearance, and nutrition.
Use approximately:
- 1 large milk chocolate bar, about 4 oz (113 g), broken into sections
- 4 chocolate-covered wafer fingers, about 2 oz (55 g)
- 4 chocolate sandwich cookies
- 2 chocolate-covered crunchy bars, cut or broken into pieces
- 1/2 cup (85 g) chocolate malt balls
- 1/3 cup (60 g) mini chocolate candies
- 2 oz (55 g) assorted chocolate chunks
This quantity creates the heavily loaded appearance without putting an unreasonable amount of weight on the cake.
Instructions
- Prepare the pans. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 8-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper and lightly grease the parchment.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined. Break up or sift out any cocoa lumps.
- Add the wet ingredients. Add the eggs, whole milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla. Mix on low speed until combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- Add the hot liquid. Slowly pour in the hot coffee while mixing on low. Continue only until the batter is smooth. The batter will be relatively thin; do not add extra flour.
- Fill the pans. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans. For equally sized layers, weigh the filled pans and adjust the batter if needed.
- Bake. Bake on the center rack for 28–34 minutes. Begin checking at 28 minutes. The cakes are ready when a toothpick inserted near the center comes out without wet batter; a few moist crumbs are fine.
- Cool. Leave the cakes in their pans for 10–15 minutes. Turn them onto wire racks, remove the parchment, and cool completely. For easier decorating, chill the cooled layers for about 30 minutes.
- Make the frosting. Beat the softened butter for 2–3 minutes until creamy. Gradually beat in the sifted powdered sugar and cocoa. Add the heavy cream, vanilla, and salt. Beat until fluffy and spreadable. Add extra cream one teaspoon at a time only if the frosting is too stiff.
- Assemble the layers. Level pronounced domes with a serrated knife if necessary. Place one cake layer on a cake board or serving plate. Spread an even layer of frosting over it. Add the second layer.
- Crumb coat. Cover the cake with a thin layer of frosting to trap loose crumbs. Refrigerate for 20–30 minutes.
- Apply the final frosting. Cover the top and sides with the remaining chocolate frosting. Smooth the surface while leaving a few subtle spatula marks for the homemade appearance shown in the reference.
- Make the ganache. Put the finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until steaming and just approaching a simmer. Pour it over the chocolate. Leave for 2–3 minutes, then stir slowly until smooth and glossy.
- Test the ganache. Allow the ganache to cool until thick but still pourable. Test one drip on the back of the chilled cake. If it runs quickly to the bottom, wait a few more minutes.
- Create the drip. Add controlled ganache drips around the upper edge. Let some drips remain short and others travel farther down the cake. Spread a thin layer of ganache over the top.
- Decorate. Position the largest chocolate bar sections vertically toward the back. Add tall wafer fingers and crunchy bars. Build forward with sandwich cookies, smaller chocolate pieces, malt balls, and candies.
- Finish the base. Place a few cookies, chocolate chunks, wafer pieces, and malt balls around the bottom edge to reproduce the abundant look.
- Set and serve. Chill briefly until the frosting, ganache, and decorations are stable. Bring the cake closer to room temperature before serving for a softer crumb and frosting.
Notes
- Measure flour by weight when possible.
- Use natural unsweetened cocoa powder for the most repeatable version of this formula.
- Hot coffee deepens the chocolate character but should not make the finished cake taste strongly of coffee. Hot water can replace it 1:1.
- The batter is supposed to be thin. Do not compensate with extra flour.
- Cake layers must be completely cool before frosting.
- A short chilling period makes the layers easier to stack.
- Test the ganache on the back of the cake before adding all the drips.
- If the ganache runs too quickly, let it cool longer. If it barely moves, warm it very gently.
- Tall chocolate decorations should be pushed slightly into the frosting or ganache for support.
- Put the heaviest decorations closer to the center rather than balancing them on the edge.
- Exact nutrition changes substantially with the brands and amount of chocolate used for decoration.
- Remove some of the tallest decorations before slicing for cleaner portions.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Additional Time: 1 hour 30 minutes cooling and chilling
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American