Recipe for the cake is adapted from Hershey's chocolate cake.
Ingredients
Plain flour – 225 gm
Cocoa powder – 75 gm
Baking powder – 1 ½ tsp
Baking soda – 1 ½ tsp
Salt – ¼ tsp
Eggs – 2 large
Granulated sugar – 400 gm
Oil – 120 ml
Milk – 230 ml
Boiling water – 230 ml
Vanilla extract – 2 tsp
Method
In a bowl measure and sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt and keep it aside.
In another bowl crack two eggs and beat it with sugar for 2-3 minutes.
Add oil , vanilla extract and beat until mixed.
Add dry ingredients and milk and beat until mixed.
Finally add boiling water and beat again until just mixed.
Pour the batter into three 7 inch cake tins and bake at 175 degree C for about 30 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.
Buttercream
Unsalted butter – 175 gm
Icing sugar – 350 gm
Meringue powder – 2 tsp
Double cream – 100 ml
Dark chocolate – 80 gm
Vanilla extract – 2 tsp
Method
1.In a mixing bowl add 1/3 of the sugar, salt and meringue powder and mix.
2.Add cream to it and beat it for 5 minutes in an electric mixer with paddle attachment
3.Add remaining sugar and beat for 3 minutes.
4.Add butter little by little and beat for 5-7 minutes.
5.Add vanilla, melted chocolate and beat for 1 minute.
Chocolate ganache
Dark chocolate – 40 gm (broken into small pieces)
Milk chocolate –40 gm
Double cream – 110 ml
Caster sugar – 1 tablespoon
Honey – 1 tsp
In a saucepan add some cream and simmer it on a low flame. When it is about to boil add chocolate, sugar, honey and mix until everything has melted.
Let it cool for a bit.
Assembling the cake
Once the cake has cooled down to room temperature, take the first layer and spread the buttercream on top.
Place the second layer of cake on top and repeat .
Finally place the third layer and spread buttercream all around the cake and then gently pour the ganache on top. You can also do drips on the edges.
If you let the ganache cool a bit more you can use the ganache to pipe some decorations on top.
