Chocolate Chocolate Pudding Cake With Chocolate Ganache

A showstopper triple-chocolate layer cake: Grand Marnier-soaked génoise layers filled with thick chocolate pudding, covered in chocolate ganache, and garnished with chocolate shards.

AmericanVegetarianAdvanced90 minBy Northstar

Ingredients

Servings
10
  • 8 each eggs
  • 1 cup sugar, plus 2 tbsp
  • 0.3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 cup bleached flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 0.8 cup Grand Marnier
  • 4 cup heavy cream, divided
  • 0.5 cup cornstarch
  • 1 cup sugar (for pudding)
  • 5 oz semisweet chocolate chips
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 0.5 lb semisweet chocolate squares, chopped (for ganache)
  • 11 oz semisweet chocolate chips (for garnish)

Instructions

  1. 1

    Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 9x2-inch round pans and coat with 1 tbsp sugar each. Beat eggs and 1 cup sugar on high speed until pale, thick, and tripled in volume, about 8 minutes. Sift cocoa, flour, and baking powder; fold into egg mixture until smooth. Divide between pans and bake 25 minutes. Cool, then cut each layer in half horizontally.

  2. 2

    For pudding: Make a paste of 1/2 cup cream and cornstarch. Combine with remaining cream, sugar, chocolate chips, and vanilla in a saucepan. Whisk over low heat until chocolate melts. Cook, stirring frequently, until very thick, about 25 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

  3. 3

    To assemble: Brush cake layers with Grand Marnier. Place first layer on a wire rack over a parchment-lined pan. Spread 1/3 of the pudding over the layer. Repeat with remaining layers and pudding. Chill until set.

  4. 4

    For ganache: Heat 2 cups cream just to boiling. Remove and add chopped chocolate. Whisk until smooth. Cool until spreadable. Pour over the chilled cake, letting it drip down the sides. Chill at least 6 hours.

  5. 5

    For garnish: Melt chips and spread on a parchment-lined sheet. Chill until set, then break into large shards. Place shards vertically on top of cake at various angles. Dust with powdered sugar.

Tags

emerilshowstopperdessertchocolateamericancakebakingganache