Chocolate Fudge Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting and Chocolate Ganache Glaze

Recipe courtesy Sara Campbell

Show: $40 a DayEpisode: Santa Barbara, CA

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (132)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(132)

Cook Time:
15 min
Level:
Intermediate
Yield:
6 servings

Times:

Prep: 45 min
Inactive Prep: 1 min
Cook: 15 min
Total:: 1 hr 1 min

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Ingredients

Cake:

3 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 cup canola oil
3 eggs
2 2/3 cups flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/8 cups cocoa powder

Frosting:

1 1/2 pounds sweet butter, soft
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 pinch salt

Ganache:

1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 tablespoon light corn syrup
3/4 cup heavy cream

Directions

To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Oil 3 (10-inch) cake pans and line the bottom with parchment paper. Alternately, oil the pans and then flour them.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the brown sugar and oil. Turn on the mixer to a low speed and mix in the eggs. Let the sugar, oil, and eggs mix while sifting together the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Set this mixture aside.

In another small bowl, mix the vanilla into the milk and set this aside as well. Bring the water to a boil and pour over the cocoa and whisk it until it is smooth. To the egg mixture, alternately add the flour mixture and the milk mixture beginning and ending with flour. With the mixer off, scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition. With the mixture at a low speed add the cocoa. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and pour this mixture into the prepared cake pans. Bake the cake for approximately 15 minutes or until tester comes out clean. When cake layers have cooled, remove from pans and refrigerate until cold.

To make the frosting: In an electric mixing bowl place the soft butter and beat it on a low speed while adding powdered sugar. When all the sugar is mixed in, turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add in the vanilla and salt and let the mixer beat for 5 to 7 minutes on a medium speed. Fill and frost the cake and refrigerate it for 10 to 20 minutes to set up the frosting.

To make the ganache: In a heatproof bowl, place the chocolate chips and the corn syrup. Bring the heavy cream to a full boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and whisk it until smooth then set it aside.Pour ganache over the top of the cake and, with a cake spatula, smooth the top of the cake and allow ganache to spill over the sides. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or longer.

Serve the cake cold or allow it to come to room temperature before serving.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Chocolate Fudge Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting and Chocolate Ganache Glaze
Patrick Tuscaloosa, AL 10-23-2009
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Delicious!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I made this cake for a birthday party, and I will admit it took 2 trips to the grocery and 3-4 hours to make, but my efforts... were rewarded with a moist and delicious cake. I was afraid this cake would be too rich, but I was surprised to find it was "light" yet creamy. Instead of 3 layers, I made 2 larger layers so that obviously added some cooking and cooling time, but time aside, the recipe went by-the-book! I do recommend serving the cake at room temperature rather than chilled, as the cake tastes and feels denser when it is cold.Read more
recipe Chocolate Fudge Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting and Chocolate Ganache Glaze
Andrea Indianapolis, IN 10-15-2009
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This was terrific!!!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This cake is amazing, I didn't make the frosting or the ganache, but the cake is really moist and has a great taste. I made a... vanilla bean buttercream frosting and then covered with ganche, and it turned out great!!Read more
recipe Chocolate Fudge Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting and Chocolate Ganache Glaze
Heather Lake Pleasant, MA 09-20-2009
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Good Cake, Terrible Frosting, Great Ganache; LOTS of work!
Rated: 3 stars out of 5

Six bowls, 4 pans, and 3 hours later, I had a moist cake with terrible -- too buttery, not sweet enough frosting (waaay too... much butter in the recipe) which had no complexity of flavor, a huge chocolate cake (3 layers), and delicious ganache. Don't let them tell you this will take 45 minutes. It will take much longer! And, this recipe was NOT Intermediate-level; I really query that label, and the woman who said her 14 year old son could make this in a snap, (whatever!), when my cooking and baking level are truly Intermediate. This recipe was hard. Unlike the advanced/expert baking population, I do not have an automatic mixer, so I had to use lots of bowls. There are so many steps to this recipe, even though it doesn't look like it. The cake was moist and delicious. The ganache was heavenly, but I had to put it in a double boiler to melt the chocolate chips (Ghirardelli chocolate chips, which usually melt well in cookies). The preparation was also extremely messy; the ganache got everywhere. I put the cake on a tray with parchment paper, and thank God -- the ganache ran everywhere until it was refrigerated. But, together, with that terrible frosting, the cake was too rich without much complexity - layers of flavor. I wouldn't make it all together again. But, the ganache, by itself, or with the cake is very good. Signed, Still Have Bowls, Spatulas, & Pans In The Sink Read more
recipe Chocolate Fudge Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting and Chocolate Ganache Glaze
Deborah Sorrento, FL 09-07-2009
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THE BEST CAKE AND THE HIT OF THE PARTY!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This cake has a beautiful presentation,not just an ordinary looking cake. I'm not a huge chocolate cake fan, and I love this... cake, but my 14 year old son is and he made it for his 14th birthday a couple of days ago. I made it for him last year and he wanted it again this year. He wanted to make it himself though. I was there as his assistant if he needed any help, which he didn't. Last year I used a good chocolate box cake, triple fudge or something. This one was better. Instead of this recipe for buttercream frosting, I have one that is better to me. I used it last year as well. 2 sticks of butter and 8 cups (2 bxs) powered sugar, 7 to 8 TBSP milk, 4-5 teaspoons CLEAR vanilla. If you use clear vanilla (imitation) the frosting comes out WHITE, which is prettier to me. You may have to make the frosting in 2 batches, just half the ingredients and do it twice. I didn't have enough frosting making it with 1/2 of this recipe that's why I recommend doubling it. This way you won't run out and you have some left over for decorating the top and around the bottom if you want. My son made it in 3 9 inch layers but it could have been in 4 layers too. I'll make it that way next time. This cake will remind you of eating oreos. Delicious!! I also forgot to put in in the fridge as instructed after topping with ganache but it didn't matter. We wrote Happy Birthday and it sat out until after dinner when it was eaten. EXCELLENT CAKE!!Read more
recipe Chocolate Fudge Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting and Chocolate Ganache Glaze
s brooklyn, NY 08-22-2009
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Aboslutely Delicious
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I baked this cake twice and it came out great both times. My only problem was the icing which i am not great at doing. ... However, even with the messy and runny icing the cake and icing was great. I will be baking the cake again today with my niece. I will be adding afew other ingredients for my taste.Read more
recipe Chocolate Fudge Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting and Chocolate Ganache Glaze
Jenna Hill AFB, UT 07-30-2009
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Moist and Delicious!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I tried this recipe after the previous day's cake was a complete disaster! My husband doesn't even like cake all that much... and he called this cake "delicious." It was so moist (where the other one was dry and falling apart) and the ganache was the best part (and so easy) it totally beats just putting a chocolate icing on the cake. I brought a two-layer cake in to church and kept the extra layer (and extra icing and ganache) home for the two of us and we're glad to have the extras! I will definitely use this recipe again. Thanks!Read more