SPECIAL-OCCASION CHOCOLATE CAKE

Special-Occasion Chocolate Cake image

This cake won grand champion at the 2000 Alaska State Fair, and you will see why once you taste it. My decadent chocolate cake boasts a luscious ganache filling and fudge buttercream frosting. -Cindi DeClue, Anchorage, Alaska

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories Desserts

Time 1h5m

Yield 16 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 22

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Ingredients

1 cup baking cocoa
2 cups boiling water
1 cup butter, softened
2-1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
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

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, combine cocoa and water; set aside to cool completely. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Whisk together 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 until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., For ganache, place chocolate in a bowl. In a small heavy saucepan over low heat, bring cream and sugar to a boil. Pour over chocolate; whisk gently until smooth. Allow to cool until it reaches a spreadable consistency, stirring occasionally., For frosting, in a large bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Add the confectioners' sugar, cocoa, milk and vanilla; beat until smooth., Place 1 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.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 736 calories, Fat 39g fat (22g saturated fat), Cholesterol 125mg cholesterol, Sodium 454mg sodium, Carbohydrate 86g carbohydrate (63g sugars, Fiber 3g fiber), Protein 8g protein.

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Lar Aib Bal Och

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I'm going to make this cake for my friend's birthday.

Roy Musyimi

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I'm not a fan of chocolate cake, but I'm willing to try this recipe.

Gaming Hero

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I'm not a very good baker, but I'm going to give this recipe a try.

Farooq Raja

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I'm not sure if I have all of the ingredients for this cake, but I'm going to try to make it anyway.

hussain gondal

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This cake looks like it would be perfect for a special occasion.

Jamie Hopkins

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I can't wait to try this recipe.

Rehmat safi

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I'm going to make this cake for my next party.

Marvelous Dc

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I'm allergic to chocolate, but I'm sure this cake is delicious.

Muhammad Afzal Mughal

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I'm not a big chocolate fan, but this cake looks amazing.

Anum Khan

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This looks delicious!

Oreeditse Galemmone

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I'll try this recipe soon.

Shakeel Awan

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Yum!

Adeel Basheer

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This cake was easy to make and it turned out great! I would definitely recommend it.

Irfan Mobile

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I had some trouble getting the cake to rise evenly. I think I might have overmixed the batter.

Mrs Khan

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This cake was a bit too sweet for my taste, but my kids loved it. I would recommend using less sugar in the frosting.

Irfan Iffi

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I made this cake for my husband's birthday and he loved it! He said it was the best chocolate cake he had ever had.

David Achane

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This cake was delicious! The chocolate flavor was rich and intense, and the frosting was the perfect amount of sweetness. I will definitely be making this again.

MD MRRIDOY

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I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out perfectly. The cake was light and fluffy, and the frosting was smooth and creamy. I would definitely recommend this recipe.