Blackout Cake

Blackout Cake

365 Great Chocolate Desserts - ISBN

12 Preparation Time :

Categories : Chocolate

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -- -- --

1 1/2 Sticks 6 Oz Butter -- softened

3 C Sugar

3 Eggs

2 Tsp Vanilla Extract

4 Oz (1 Oz) Unsweetened Chocolate Squares -- melted

3 C Flour (Use Cake Flour)

3 Tsp Baking Soda

1/2 Tsp Salt

3/4 C Buttermilk

1 1/3 C Boiling Water

Chocolate Ganache (See Recipe)

3/4 C Roasted Almonds (To 1 Cup) -- diced

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans. Dust with flour; tap out excess.

2. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 mins. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until well blended. Add chocolate and beat 1 to 2 mins.

3.Mix together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to chocolate mixture in two additions alternately with buttermilk. Beat until well blended. With mixer on low speed, add boiling water and beal until smooth (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

4. Bake 35 to 40 mins, or until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pans 10 to 15 mins, then unmold onto racks and let cool completely. 5. Cover a cake layer with a little more than one third of Chocolate Ganache. Set second layer on top. Frost top and sides with remaining ganache. Press almonds into side of cake. Refrigerate cake 3 to 4 hours, or until ganache is firm, before serving. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NOTES : To make this especially, festive, garnish the cake with piped whipped cream and shaved chocolate. NOTE: If using all-purpose flour use 1 cup less 2 TBS for every cup called for in recipe.