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Special-Occasion Chocolate Cake Recipe

Special-Occasion Chocolate Cake Recipe photo by Taste of Home

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“This cake won Grand Champion at the 2000 Alaska State Fair,” and you will see why once you taste it. This decadent chocolate cake boasts a luscious ganache filling and fudge buttercream frosting. —Cindi Paulson, Anchorage, Alaska

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Special-Occasion Chocolate Cake Recipe

Prep: 40 min. + chilling Bake: 25 min. + cooling

Yield: 12 Servings

40 25 65

Ingredients

1 cup baking cocoa
2 cups boiling water
1 cup butter, softened
2-1/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
GANACHE:
10 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
FROSTING:
1 cup butter, softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1/4 cup 2% milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
GARNISH:
3/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Directions

In a small bowl, combine cocoa and water; set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with cocoa mixture, beating well after each addition.
Pour into three greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
For ganache, place chocolate in a small bowl. In a small heavy saucepan over low heat, bring cream and sugar to a boil. Pour over chocolate; whisk gently until smooth. Refrigerate for 35-45 minutes or until ganache begins to thicken, stirring occasionally.
For frosting, in a large bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Add the confectioners' sugar, cocoa, milk and vanilla; beat until smooth.
Place one cake layer on a serving plate; spread with 1 cup frosting. Top with second layer and 1 cup ganache; sprinkle with 1/2 cup almonds. Top with third layer; frost top and sides of cake. Warm ganache until pourable; pour over cake, allowing some to drape down the sides. Sprinkle with remaining almonds. Refrigerate until serving. Yield: 12 servings.

Nutritional Facts 1 slice equals 961 calories, 51 g fat (29 g saturated fat), 178 mg cholesterol, 574 mg sodium, 123 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 11 g protein.

Originally published as Special-Occasion Chocolate Cake in Taste of Home October/November 2008, p33

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Special-Occasion Chocolate Cake

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Reviewed on Mar. 21, 2013 by Downeastdreamer

I made this cake last year for my mother's birthday and everyone is still talking about how good it was, so I have a request to make it again for my dad's birthday in March.

Reviewed on Dec. 03, 2012 by glolisa101

This is my go to recipe for cakes at work now. everyones loves it.

Reviewed on Nov. 22, 2012 by canibake

Very tasty and not very difficult to make. Looks fabulous - tall and impressive looking as well as a mouthful of rich chocolate. The actual icing was really great - I usually do not like powdered sugar icings. I was told by a bakery to make sure to always beat those icings longer than you would think.