The Best Chocolate Cake

A couple of months ago I was approached ta work to make a small dinner for our science department.

The department chair wanted to treat her department to a little TLC with having a dinner catered for them.

At first I was a little surprise to be asked. I cook a lot for my school, but it is always for a club activity or a hospitality room.

This was a PAYING job.

Waawhoo….

After I picked myself off of the floor and agreed to make the dinner, the first thing I wanted to make was a great dessert.

I remembered this chocolate cake I made last year. It was so moist and rich and covered with a layer of chocolate ganache and topped with chocolate curls.

This cake has the WOW factor.

Here is the top of the cake when I made it the for the first time last year. The one I made this year I put strawberries on it instead of raspberries.

This is how fast this cake will disappear.

You will not believe how simple this cake really is to make. It starts out using a deviled food cake mix , a bunch of chocolate chips, sour cream, a pudding mix and some oil. It takes a total of 3 bags of chocolate chips to make this cake. On for the cake, one for the ganache and one for the chocolate curls.

You like chocolate, right?

It even has a filling of premade chocolate frosting.

With a rich chocolate ganache and topped with chocolate curls and decorated with berries of your choice, this cake is pure decadence.

Here is the one I made with stawberries.

Are you ready to make one yet?

I know you can!

Here is your grocery list and step by step instructions.

Here is everything you need to make this cake except for a tub of ready to use chocolate frosting. I have already made the chocolate curls and you can see my step by step instructions on how to make them here.

The first thing you need to do is put the cake mix and the pudding mix in a large mixing bowl.

Next add your sour cream and the vegetable oil to the cake mix.

Crack four eggs in to a small bowl and beat with a fork.

Add the beaten eggs and vanilla into the mixing bowl with the cake mix.

Now, add the milk. The fun starts now. With your mixer, combine all the ingredients.

Combine all the ingredients until the batter is nice and thick.

Here is where you use the first bag of chocolate chips. These are semi sweet miniature chocolate chips. Add the whole bag ; )

Is this beautiful batter or what?

Evenly pour batter into two 9 inch round cake pans. I have the bottoms of the pans covered in parchment paper and the sides are coated with butter then flour. I hate it when a cake sticks in a pan.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for around 35 to 40 minutes, or until a tooth pick comes out clean. I use a cake tester. It looks likes I am taking the temperature of the cake.

Use another smaller cooling rack to invert your cake on to get it out of the pan to cool on a larger cooling rack. Cool completely.

When the cakes are totally cooled frost the top of the bottom layer.

Place the top cake round onto the frosted bottom layer. It is starting to look like a layer cake. Don’t you agree? Now, just leave the cakes alone for a bit while you make the ganache. Leave the cake on the cooling rack. You will see in a bit why.

Here is the part where you use chocolate chip bag number two. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips and the whipping cream together. You can do this in the microwave too. Just put the chips and whipping cream in a microwave safe bowl and heat for a minute at a time until all the chips are melted. Let the ganache cool slightly before you pour it over the cake.

Put a baking sheet under the cooling rack with the cake on it. Slowly pour the ganache over the cake until it is completely covered. I did mine a couple of times to get the thickness I wanted. The baking pan underneath will catch the dripping ganache.

Now you use the third bag of chocolate chips. While the ganache is still moist, (so the curls will stick to the cake) decorate the top of the cake with chocolate curls. I posted step by step directions on how to make chocolate curls here.

Decorate with your choice of berries. Then try not to eat the whole cake. At least wait until no one is looking. I won’t tell….promise!

If you think this cake is too hard. It really isn’t. Just allow plenty of time and make the curls the day before. I always put the cake in the fridge overnight to firm it up before I put it on a cake plate.

Surprise someone in your life with a beautiful and delicious cake.

Everyone loves a beautiful cake.

They will love you for it.

Here is the recipe

The Best Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

Chocolate Curls:

1 – 11.5 ounce package of semi sweet chocolate chips

Cake:

1 box devils food cake mix

1 package of instant chocolate pudding mix

1 cup of sour cream

1 cup of vegetable oil

4 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 – 11.5 ounce package of semi sweet miniature chocolate chips

Middle frosting:

I tub of ready to use chocolate frosting

Ganache:

1-11.5 ounce package of semi sweet chocolate chips (I have used dark chocolate chips too and it taste great also)

1 cup of whipping cream

Berries for decorations is optional

Directions:

Preheat you oven to 350 degrees.

For the Cake:

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, vegetable oil, eggs, milk and vanilla. Mix together. The batter will be thick. Add the chocolate chips and mix in. Pour the batter evenly between two 9 inch prepared cake pans. Bake for approximately 35 to 40 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean. When the cakes are baked. Cool fior 10 minutes and remove the cakes from the pan and cool completely on a cooking racks. When the cakes are cooled. Frost the top of the bottom layer with the ready to use chocolate frosting. (you will not use the whole tub….though I did try too)

Leave the cake on the cooling rack.

To make the ganache:

Slowly melt together the chocolate chips and whipping cream. Put a baking sheet under the cooling rack the cake is on. Pour the ganache evenly over the layered cake. The ganache will drip down into the baking sheet. Make sure you get all the sides of the cake covered.

To decorate the cake with curls.

Using the curls you made earlier (you can find the directions for the curls here) decorate the top of the cake while the ganache is still moist. This will help secure the curls to the top of the cake. Decorate with berries if you desire.