If you’re looking for the ultimate showstopper cake, this is it. Three chocolate cake layers, chocolate ganache cream, whipped vanilla frosting, and crispy chocolate topping.
Make the ganache and cake layers in advance, wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days. The frosting is best if made the day of serving the cake.
Triple Layer Chocolate Cake
Servings
12 Servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
- 14- ounces bittersweet chocolate at least 70% cacao
- ½ cup coffee
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 vanilla bean beans scraped out
- Pinch of sea salt
- 3 cups sugar
- 1⅓ cups of water
- Pinch of cream of tartar or several drops of lemon juice
- 6 egg whites
- 1 vanilla bean beans scraped out
- 16- ounces bittersweet chocolate melted
- 4 cups corn flakes
Instructions
- Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour three 9-inch round baking pans. (Or, instead of flour, you can use cocoa powder, to match the color of the cake.)
- Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixer bowl. Add eggs, oil, and vanilla; beat with a mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Mix in boiling water. The batter will be quite thin. Divide the batter evenly among prepared pans.
- Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center of each cake comes out clean.
- Set the pans on wire racks and cool for 10 minutes. Then, lightly run a knife around the inside of the pans to help the cake edges release. Flip the cake pans over, one by one, and tap firmly with the palms of your hands. Carefully lift up the cake pan; the cake should release easily. If it doesn’t drop right out, drape with a warm wet towel while continuing to tap.
- Cool the cake layers completely before frosting.
- Ganache:
- Melt chocolate and coffee in a double boiler or bowl set over a pan of simmering water, be sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.
- Stir in evoo, egg yolks, vanilla bean, and sea salt. Chill mixture until semi-solid.
- Transfer mixture to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
- Whip ganache at medium speed until fluffy and lighter in color. Be careful not to over-whip or the ganache will break.
- Vanilla Bean Frosting:
- In a small saucepan, bring sugar, water, and cream of tartar or lemon juice to a boil.
- Using a pastry brush, occasionally brush down the inside of the pan to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Once the mixture is boiling, cover and continue boiling for 3 minutes or until a candy thermometer registers 245°F.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat whites and vanilla bean to medium peaks. With the motor on LOW, slowly pour the hot sugar syrup in between the whisk and the side of the bowl.
- Cover the front of the bowl with a towel to prevent spatters, and increase the motor speed to HIGH. Continue whipping until the bottom of the mixing bowl is just barely warm to the touch.
- Crispy Chocolate Topping:
- Place the corn flakes in a large mixing bowl. Pour half of the melted chocolate over the cereal and stir to coat. Place the bowl in the refrigerator and allow the chocolate to harden.
- Pour the remaining chocolate over the cereal and stir. With your hands or a spoon
- Separate the cereal into small clusters. Place the clusters in the refrigerator to harden.
- Assembling the Cake:
- Place 1 cake layer on a cardboard cake round, cake stand, or plate. Add ⅓ of the ganache filling and spread evenly. Top with another cake layer and repeat. Add the final layer and cover only the top with ganache leaving the sides “naked”.
- Cover the top and sides with Vanilla Frosting and top with Crispy Chocolate topping. Slice, serve, and celebrate!
AMEN AMEN AMEN!!!! Wishing you health and happiness, safety and security until 120! XOXO
Dear Jamie, Thanks so much for your kind and thoughtful birthday greetings. I truly appreciate it. 81 and locked in the house do to this horrible virus. G_D willing next year we can celebrate together and be free of living in fear. <3 To all who might be reading this, let's all pray for those suffering and let Hashem keep us well. Love to you and all.
I am pretty sure that I see a toasted meringue topping in the top centre of this cake….but don’t see at which point you are doing this in the recipe or in the video…. must be done before the chocolate, but even a few seconds in the oven to toast it would cause a problem for the ganache, wouldn’t it? Or is someone using a blow torch?
blow torch. XO Jamie
good question Sheri! i took the milk out of ingredients and made it pareve with water. so, please disregard the milk in directions.
How much milk?