Blackout Chocolate Cake with Ganache

Ingredients:

Cake

• Basic chocolate sponge cake, recipe below

Filling

• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 60 g dark chocolate, finely chopped

Ganache glaze

• 350 g dark chocolate, finely chopped
• A pinch of salt
• 1.5 cups heavy cream plus 2 tablespoons for frosting

Basic chocolate sponge cake

• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 2.5 cups premium flour
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 3 large eggs at room temperature
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 0.5 cup sour cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation:

1. Prepare the fillingIn a medium saucepan, bring the milk to a simmer over medium heat. In a heatproof bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, and egg until smooth. Gradually whisk in half of the hot milk, then return everything to the saucepan.
2. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring constantly, for 2–3 minutes, until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Then pour it into a bowl (if there are many lumps, strain through a fine sieve) and stir in the chocolate until it melts. Cover the surface of the filling with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the ganache glaze.Place the chocolate and salt in a large heatproof bowl. Bring 1.5 cups of heavy cream to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat. Pour it into the chocolate and let it sit for 5 minutes, then stir until smooth. Pour 3/4 cup of ganache into a measuring cup and set aside. Refrigerate the remaining cream in the bowl for about 1 hour to thicken but not set.
4. Assembling the cakePlace one sponge cake layer on a serving plate. Top with the filling, leaving a 1.5 cm border. Top with the second layer and press lightly.
   
   Add 2 tablespoons of heavy cream to the chilled ganache and beat it with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 1 minute (do not over-beat). Cover the entire cake with the whipped ganache.
5. Drizzle some room-temperature ganache over the top, letting it drip down the sides of the cake. Let the cake set for 30 minutes, then slice.
   
   

   Basic chocolate sponge cake

   
   Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray two 9-inch round baking pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
   
   In a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and 1.5 cups boiling water until smooth. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the eggs, vegetable oil, sour cream, and vanilla and beat with a mixer on medium speed for 1 minute until smooth. Reduce the mixer speed to low, pour in the cocoa powder in a steady stream, and begin mixing with a rubber spatula (the batter will be runny).
   
   Pour the batter into the prepared pans and tap them on the counter to set. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick; it should come out clean. Transfer the pans with the cakes to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes. Then, run a knife between the cake and the side of the pan, and turn each cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Remove the parchment paper. If desired, smooth the cakes by trimming any puffed tops with a long serrated knife.