The Best Homemade Chocolate Cake!

by Shiela Labao

Friends and readers! I am beyond excited to share this chocolate cake recipe with you. This is the type of recipe I can see myself using over and over again over the years and hopefully become known as Shiela's chocolate cake among my loved ones. It's honestly so easy to make but mimics patisserie style chocolate cakes. It even has a gorgeous mirror glaze that you can very simply make at home without any fancy immersion blender! Let's get baking! 

 

 

Ingredients

Sponge:

1 cup Milk (substitutes are great but no skim plz!)

1 tbsp Vinegar

1 cup Brown Sugar

1/2 cup White Sugar

2 Eggs

3/4 cup Veg Oil

1 cup AP Flour

3/4 cup Cocoa Powder

1 tbsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Salt

1/2 cup Coffee (hot)

Chocolate Ganache

250 g Semi-sweet Baking 

250 g Heavy Cream

Chocolate Glaze

2 1/2 tbsp Water

4 tsp Gelatine Powder

2/3 cup Heavy Cream

2/3 cup Water

1 cup Cocoa Powder

1 cup + 2 tbsp Sugar

 

How to:

*The cake can be made 1 day in advanced before assembly.

  1. Preheat your oven to 320 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease 2 regular 9 inch cake pan or a deep 6 inch cake pan. Line the bottom and sides with parchment paper. Ensure the paper for the sides is at least 2 inches taller than the pan. Set aside until ready to use.
  2. In a bowl, combine the milk and vinegar. Let it stand for 5 minutes. You are essentially making buttermilk. Once the milk mixture is lumpy add the eggs, brown sugar, white sugar, and oil. Use a whisk to mix well. 
  3. Use a sieve to sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder into the milk mixture. Mix until incorporated. Add the hot coffee last and mix well. The batter will look a bit loose - like thick hot chocolate. 
  4. Pour the batter into the pan(s). Bake in preheated oven about 1 hour or until a knife inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. **The shallower the pan, the less time you'll need. Make sure you check the doneness of the cakes periodically. 
  5. Let the cake cool completely before taking out of the pan. 

Make the ganache:

  1. Make the ganache. Chop the chocolates into rough smaller pieces about the size of chocolate chips and place in a bowl.
  2. Scald the milk in the microwave. Do not boil just heat the milk enough that it's steamy. Pour the milk on the chocolate. Wait 20 seconds and then combine well using a spatula. 
  3. Let the ganache cool and set to a buttercream consistency - about 1-2 hours. 
  4. Once the cake has cooled and the ganache has set, it's time to assemble the cake. Slice your cake into your desired number of ayers. Spread a thin (about 3/4 inch thick) but even layer of ganache on each layer. Crumb coat the cake with remaining ganache. Ensure there are no bumps or large holes on the sides and surface of the cake. 
  5. Refrigerate the cake for 1 hour to let the ganache set completely.

Make the glaze:

  1. Create your glaze by blooming the gelatine powder in 2 1/2 tbsp cold water. set aside to set. 
  2. In a pot, combine heavy cream, sugar, cocoa powder and 2/3 cup water. Bring to a boil. Once it's boiling, remove from heat and add the gelatine. Stir until gelatine has dissolved and the mixture is completely smooth. 
  3. Strain the mixture to a room temperature bowl. Let it cool to about 86 degrees Fahrenheit. This will ensure you get a nice thin glaze. Cover the surface of the glaze with plastic wrap to avoid a skin from forming. 
  4. Once the glaze has reached the right temperature, place your cake on a cooling rack set on top of a larger bowl or baking sheet. Pour the glaze on top of the cake and watch the glaze cascade and cover the entire cake. 
  5. Wait 15 minutes before moving the cake. This will ensure enough glaze flows off of the cake and the remaining glaze sets well enough. 
  6. Let the glaze set completely (about an hour) before slicing the cake. 
  7. Enjoy!
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