My First Post-Chocolate Truffle Birthday Cake

For my first post it only seemed appropriate that I start with a delicious chocolate cake. It was my colleague's birthday and I knew that my best option would be a nice rich chocolate cake, inspired by smitten kitchen's delicious looking cake.

I made a lovely chocolate fudge cake and then two types of ganache for the filling and decoration, unfortunately the white chocolate ganache didn't set, so although it worked just about ok in the middle, oozing out a little and mixing with the darker chocolate on the sides, it was impossible to pipe with so I just served it on the side. It was delicious though! The dark chocolate ganache was much easier to work with. Instead of piping a decoration, I garnished with white chocolate truffles.

It disappeared in a matter of minutes and I thought it was delicious. I think if I made it again I would cut the two layers in half and put something light like fruit with cream between the layers.

I added a couple of sachets of instant coffee to the boiling water to make the cake a bit richer and I used salted butter and omitted the salt.

Recipes:
Chocolate Fudge Cake -The Cake Bible-Rose Levey Beranbaum
Unsweetened Cocoa (Dutch Processed) 3oz
Boiling water 12.5oz
3 large eggs 5.25 oz
vanilla 1.5tbsp
sifted cake flour 10.5 oz
light brown sugar 15.25oz
baking powder 2.5 tsp
baking soda 0.75tsp
salt 0.75tsp
unsalted butter 8 ounces

Preheat the oven to 350F and prepare two 9 inch cake pans by putting parchment on the bottom, greased and floured

In a medium bowl whisk together the cocoa and boiling water until smooth. Cool to room temperature.
In another bowl combine the eggs, 1/4 of the cocoa mixture and vanilla.
In a large mixing bowl lightly combine the remaining dry ingredients and mix on low speed for 30 seconds. Add the butter and remaining cocoa mixture. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase the speed(high speed if using a hand mixer) and beat for 1 1/2 minutes to aerate and develop the cake's structure. Scrape down the sides. Gradually add the egg mixture in 3 batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition to incorporate the ingredients and strengthen the structure. Scape down the sides.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the surface with a spatula. The pans will be about 1/2 full. Bake 20-30 minutes or until a tester inserted near the center comes out clean and the cake springs back if pressed lightly in the center. The cakes should start to shrink back from the sides of the pans only after removal from the oven.

Let the cakes cool in the pans on racks for 10 minutes. Loosen the sides with a small metal spatula and invert onto greased wire racks. To prevent splitting, reinvert so that tops are up and cool completely before wrapping airtight.

White Chocolate Ganache-Bon Apetit I made around 1/2 of the white choc ganache and didn't follow the recipe very carefully!
3 cups chilled whipping cream
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 pound good-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Baker's), finely chopped
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

4 tablespoons amaretto or other almond liqueur (I didnt include this)

Bring 1 cup cream and butter to simmer in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until butter melts. Remove from heat. Add white chocolate and stir until smooth. Whisk in vanilla. Pour 1 1/2 cups white chocolate filling into small bowl; cover and freeze until cold, about 2 hours.

Let remaining white chocolate mixture in saucepan stand at room temperature until lukewarm, about 20 minutes.

Using electric mixer, beat remaining 2 cups cream and almond extract in large bowl until peaks form. Working in 3 batches, fold in lukewarm white chocolate mixture. Refrigerate whipped cream frosting just until medium peaks hold, folding occasionally, about 3 hours.

Dark Chocolate Ganache- from Smitten Kitchen I made about 2/3 of this recipe
1 pound fine-quality semisweet chocolate (I used Trader Joes Bittersweet Belgian Chocolate)
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
½ stick (¼ cup) unsalted butter

Finely chop chocolate. In a 1 1/2- to 2-quart saucepan bring cream, sugar, and corn syrup to a boil over moderately low heat, whisking until sugar is dissolved. Remove pan from heat and add chocolate, whisking until chocolate is melted. Cut butter into pieces and add to frosting, whisking until smooth. Transfer frosting to a bowl and cool, stirring occasionally, until spreadable (depending on chocolate used, it may be necessary to chill frosting to spreadable consistency).

Presentation
I made the cakes a day before and put the white chocolate ganache in the center, then covered with he dark chocolate ganache and then topped with white chocolate cherry truffles and served the disaster runny white chocolate sauce on the side.