For an explanation of The Tuesday Treat, see here.
A Birthday Cake (chocolate cake w. chocolate ganache)
My mom’s birthday cake: chocolate on chocolate decadence. I would have it no other way. The cake is firm yet with a slightly tender crumb, and is my gold standard, perpetual go-to for a chocolate cake. The ganache frosting is thick and fudgey and incredibly easy to put together. In sum, this cake is perfection.
For the ganache
1 1/2 cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
2 cups heavy cream
In a sauce pan, heat the cream until nearly boiling. Place the chocolate chips in a bowl, and pour the hot cream over. Let the cream and chocolate sit for a bit, about 4-5 minutes. Slowly whisk the chocolate into the cream (the ‘resting’ period will help get the chocolate melty), stirring and whisking until chocolate is completely melted and a smooth, velvety ganache forms. Cool to room temperature; mixture will thicken as it cools. I often will stick in the fridge to hasten the cooling/solidifying process. If you do this, remove from the fridge to let soften up a little before filling the cake.
To assemble, place one layer of cooled cake on plate and spread thickly with ganache. Top with the other layer of cake and frost sides and top of cake. Alternatively, slice each layer in half and fill each with an equal amount of ganache before frosting entire outside of cake.
I’m dying over this…
Beautiful photo, btw! And what could I possibly say about that cake?!