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Turn your home kitchen into a New York-style bakery with this rich chocolate cake, boasting a super moist texture and velvety whipped ganache. This straightforward take on the traditional blackout cake packs a serious chocolate punch without any fancy methods or scarce components.
I've tried tons of chocolate cake recipes, and this version always gives amazing results without much work. The whipped ganache turns into a fluffy topping that's much easier to handle than regular buttercream.
Key Components:
- High-grade cocoa powder - Dutch-processed gives darker color and richer taste
- Brown sugar - brings moisture and gentle caramel hints
- Sour cream - makes for a soft, moist texture
- Chocolate bars - don't use chips if you want smooth ganache
- Hot coffee - boosts chocolate flavor without any coffee taste
Step-by-Step Guide:
- Nail Your Ganache
- Cut chocolate into similar-sized bits for smooth melting
- Warm cream until it steams but doesn't bubble
- Don't touch the chocolate until it's mostly melted
- Let it cool on the counter, checking how thick it gets
- Get The Batter Right
- Mix cocoa with hot liquid until completely smooth
- Blend wet stuff until there aren't any streaks
- Mix in dry ingredients gently to keep cake soft
- Bang pan on counter to pop air bubbles before baking
- Bake It Perfectly
- Put rack in the middle of your oven
- Turn pan around halfway through cooking
- Look for sides pulling away from the pan
- Stick toothpick in several spots to check it's done
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My grandma always added a tiny bit of espresso powder to make chocolate taste more chocolatey - I've used that trick here and it works wonders.
Picking The Right Chocolate:
From years of baking, I've found that your chocolate choice really matters for the end result. I like using 60-70% cacao chocolate for the perfect mix of sweetness and strong chocolate flavor.
Getting Temperatures Right:
Working in dessert kitchens taught me that chocolate is all about heat control. Your ganache should be cool enough to hold its shape but still warm enough to spread without tearing the cake.
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This Brooklyn Blackout Cake has become my go-to celebration dessert. The mix of deep chocolate flavor and fluffy whipped ganache makes a memorable treat that always has people asking how I made it.
Mastering Whipped Ganache
After making so many batches, I've figured out the trick to perfect whipped ganache is all about when you use it. Let the mix cool until it forms a soft peak when you lift your spoon - usually around 30 minutes sitting out. This gives you frosting that goes on smoothly and sets with a nice shine.
Choosing Your Chocolate
Chocolate with 60-70% cacao hits the sweet spot for flavor. Cheap brands can work okay, but better chocolates like Ghirardelli or Guittard really take the cake up a notch. I learned this at a chocolate tasting class that changed how I bake.
Planning Ahead
This cake actually tastes better the next day as the flavors mix together. You can wrap the unfrosted cake tight and freeze it for up to 3 months. For parties, I often bake the cake early, freeze it, then thaw and frost it the day of the event.
All About Cocoa
Dutch-processed cocoa makes a darker cake with smoother taste, while regular cocoa gives a fruitier flavor. Both work great here - I've tried loads of batches with each kind while creating this recipe. Regular cocoa works really well with the coffee in the batter.
Fixing Common Problems
Knowing some cake science helps avoid issues. If your cake sinks in the middle, check if your baking powder is fresh and your oven temperature is right. If it's too dense, make sure your ingredients weren't cold and you didn't mix too much. I learned these tricks from teaching baking classes.
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Last Bits of Advice:
Check your oven heat with another thermometer
Bake in light metal pans for even cooking
Keep at room temp under a cake cover
This Brooklyn Blackout Cake shows off chocolate baking at its best - big flavor without big hassle. After tweaking it for years, it's now the chocolate cake everyone asks me to make, showing that sometimes the easiest approach gives the most amazing results.
Frequently Asked Questions
- → Are chocolate chips good for making ganache?
- Chocolate bars melt way better because they don't have the stabilizing stuff found in chips that can mess up your texture.
- → Does coffee make the cake taste weird?
- Not at all! Coffee just makes chocolate taste more chocolatey. You can always go with hot water if you prefer.
- → Can I make this cake the day before?
- Absolutely! It stays fresh for 3 days on your counter or up to 5 days in the fridge.
- → What's the point of whipping the ganache?
- It makes everything so much airier and fluffier. You'll find it's way easier to spread and has this amazing mousse feel to it.
- → What should I do if my ganache gets too hard?
- Just pop it in the microwave for a few 15-second zaps, making sure to stir between each one until it's soft enough to spread.