Chocolate Coffee Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache

When I was recently asked to make a cake for my friend’s birthday, I immediately thought of this chocolate and coffee cake. Many of the times she has hosted us, we are welcomed with a fresh pot of French press coffee and dark chocolate. This rich chocolate cake with coffee buttercream and dark chocolate ganache seemed like the perfect combination to celebrate her birthday.

Tips for Making Chocolate Cake

This chocolate cake is rich and very chocolatey, but there are a few things to pay attention to when mixing it together. I like to prepare the cake pans with butter and cocoa powder rather than flour. The outside of the cakes end up the color of chocolate, rather than powdered with white flour. I also like chocolate cake recipes that use cocoa powder instead of melted chocolate. In my experience chocolate cakes with cocoa powder only have more intense flavor and better texture. But, the key is in blooming the cocoa powder with boiling water before adding it to the batter. Blooming the cocoa releases the flavor compounds and intensifies the chocolate flavor.

Get more of my favorite baking tips here.

What is Ermine Frosting?

This recipe uses ermine frosting, or boiled milk frosting. An ermine frosting starts by cooking milk, sugar and flour until it thickens. Once it’s cooled butter is whipped into the roux and then flavored. While it may seem unusual to make frosting with what is essentially a roux, the result is creamy, smooth and fluffy. It’s not as heavy with butter as American buttercream and much easier to use for decorating cakes. Make sure to cook the milk in a nonreactive pan or else it will get an off color.

Ingredients

Adapted from Baked Explorations.
Yields one 8-inch, 3-layer cake.

Chocolate Cake

Coffee Buttercream Frosting:

Chocolate Ganache:

For the Chocolate Cake:

1. Preheat the oven and prepare the pans:

Preheat the oven to 165°C (375°F). Grease three 8-inch round cake pans with butter, line them with parchment, and butter the parchment. Dust the parchment lined pans with flour or cocoa powder and tap out the excess.

2. Bloom the cocoa:

In a medium bowl, whisk the boiling water into the cocoa powder. Blooming the cocoa powder releases the flavor compounds and intensifies the chocolate flavor. Whisk in the crème fraîche and set aside to cool while preparing the other ingredients.

3. Mix the dry ingredients:

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

4. Cream the butter, sugar and eggs:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. To get the right consistency, this will take some time, about 5 minutes. Add the granulated and brown sugar and continue to beat the mixture on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again until the mixture is consistent.

• Save

5. Make the batter:

Add the dry ingredients and the bloomed cocoa mixture to the mixer bowl, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

• Save

6. Fill the pans and bake:

Divide the batter among the greased pans. To ensure even layers, weigh the batter and divide by three, approximately 570g per pan. 

Bake the cakes for 35 – 40 minutes, until the edges start pulling from the sides and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean.

7. Cool the cakes:

Let the cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for about 30 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto the rack and leave them to cool while preparing the frosting.

• Save

Coffee Buttercream Frosting

1. Make the roux:

In a medium, non-reactive saucepan whisk together the sugar and flour. Pour in the milk and cream and bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking occasionally to prevent scorching. 

Once the mixture has come to a boil and thickened, transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until the mixture cools to room temperature, about 8 minutes.

2. Cream the butter:

Reduce the speed to low and add the butter bit by bit. Then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting comes together and becomes light and fluffy.

Add the vanilla and coffee extracts and mix to combine.

To Assemble the Cake

Place one layer of cake on a serving platter bottom side up and spread with some of the buttercream frosting. Use an offset spatula to spread it evenly over the layer. Repeat with the next layer and then top with the remaining layer.

• Save

Frost the cake and leave in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes to set.

If the frosting is too stiff, set the bowl over a pot of boiling water for a moment, then beat until it is the proper consistency. If it is too soft, set in the refrigerator to chill, then beat again.

• Save

For the Chocolate Ganache

1. Melt the chocolate and butter in a Bain-Marie

Place a bowl over a pot of simmering water. Be careful not to spill any water in the bowl or the chocolate will split. Break or chop the chocolate into small pieces and place in the bowl along with the butter. Stir the mixture with a rubber spatula until it has melted and combined, then remove from the heat.

2. Glaze the Cake

Pour the chocolate ganache over the top of the cake and use an offset spatula to spread it evenly and control the drips down the sides of the cake. Leave in the refrigerator to set the ganache before serving for at least 15 minutes

• Save