Chocolate Ganache Cake
Rich and decadent Chocolate Ganache Cake has a rich, moist chocolate cake filled with a chocolate ganache buttercream frosting and beautiful ganache drips and topping. It's the show stopper at every party and the fix you didn't know you needed.
Covered in piped rosettes and chocolate ganache, this cake isn't even just pretty. It's drop-dead gorgeous!
Ingredients for Chocolate Ganache Cake
See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for all ingredients and quantities.
- All-Purpose Flour - I like to use King Arthur's all-purpose flour, but any all-purpose flour will work.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder - You can use either regular cocoa powder or dutch-processed cocoa powder in this recipe. Dutch-processed cocoa powder doesn't have the acid that regular cocoa powder has to help activate the leavening agent but in this case we have buttermilk that will do the job.
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder - The leavening agents that helps the cake rise.
- Granulated Sugar - Granulated or white sugar helps create the air pockets in the butter while it's creaming to make a light, fluffy cake and also provides the sweetness.
- Salt - This helps balance the sweetness in this chocolate cake.
- Buttermilk - Full-fat buttermilk is a must for this recipe!
- Vegetable Oil - Vegetable oil or canola oil can be used in this recipe.
- Instant Coffee - Use your favorite instant coffee to combine with hot water.
- Eggs - I always use large eggs for my recipes unless otherwise stated in the recipe.
- Vanilla Extract - Use your favorite store-bought or homemade vanilla extract.
- Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate - Baking chocolate makes a great ganache. It provides the most chocolate flavor without additional ingredients like chocolate chips. You can use milk chocolate baking chocolate or dark chocolate baking chocolate in place of the semi-sweet baking chocolate.
- Heavy Whipping Cream - Don't use whole milk or half and half for this recipe. Heavy whipping cream has the fat content needed to prevent chocolate from seizing up when being mixed into ganache.
- Butter - I prefer salted butter, but unsalted butter works great too.
- Powdered Sugar - If your powdered sugar is lumpy, you may want to run it through a fine mesh strainer to get out any lumps to avoid a lumpy frosting.
Substitutions and Variations
- Instead of using vegetable oil or canola oil, avocado oil would work as well.
- If you don't have buttermilk, you can use soured milk by combining 1 cup of whole milk and 1 tablespoon white vinegar. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes until it appears curdled.
- If you don't have instant coffee granules on hand, you can replace the instant coffee and hot water for an actual cup of cooled coffee.
- The semi-sweet baking chocolate can be switched out with milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or bittersweet chocolate. Whatever your preference is.
- You can substitute the baking chocolate or chocolate chips in the ganache. It may set up quicker or react slightly difference since the chocolate chips are more waxy and contain stabilizers.
NOTE: This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations
FREE EMAIL BONUS: Treat yourself with these delicious recipes
How to Make Chocolate Ganache Cake
Step 1: Preheat the oven and grease and line your pans. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, and salt together in a bowl.
Step 2: In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk, vegetable oil, the dissolved coffee in the cup of hot water, eggs, and vanilla extract.
Step 3 & 4: Combine the wet and dry ingredients gradually and whisk until fully combined.
Step 5: Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake.
Step 6: Let the cakes cool for 15 minutes in the pan before turning out onto the wire rack to cool completely.
Step 7: To make the ganache, heat the heavy cream until bubbly. Remove it from the heat and add the chocolate.
Step 8: After ten minutes, stir to incorporate the chocolate. While the ganache is still runny, make your buttercream frosting using some of the ganache.
Step 9: Cream the butter and powdered sugar with vanilla to make the buttercream frosting.
Step 10: When it is combined, add the chocolate ganache. Beat to combine. Frost and decorate the cake using the buttercream frosting and the remaining chocolate ganache and following our simple instructions.
How To Assemble Cake
Step 11: Level the cakes for even layers. Add a smear of frosting on a cake board and place the first layer of cake in the center of the board. Gently press down.
Step 12: Fill a storage bag or disposable piping bag with frosting. Cut a large hole in the corner of the storage bag or piping bag. Pipe a swirl of frosting on top of the first layer of cake and spread the frosting to fill in any spaces. Place a second layer of cake on and repeat. After the cake is all stacked, trim any edges that need it.
Step 13: Pipe swirls of frosting to cover the outside of the cake. You can also do a thin crumb coat first to lock in all of the crumbs.
Step 14: Smooth out the frosting. Add the ganache drips on the sides of the cake and the chocolate swirls to the top.
Tips for Best Results
When you are ready to make the buttercream, if the ganache has firmed up and no longer pours, warm up in 20-second intervals in the microwave until you reach a pourable consistency to mix into your frosting.
For perfectly piped ganache, it should be the consistency of a thick syrup. It should reach this consistency 20-30 minutes after you have made it, depending on how warm/cool your kitchen is. If it has firmed up too much, heat it in 10-second bursts in the microwave.
Baking at a low temperature helps to prevent the cakes from splitting and doming.
How to Store and Freeze
Keep leftover cake in the refrigerator in an airtight container for four to five days. Eventually, the cake will start to dry out on the edges and the buttercream will become weepy.
You can freeze a whole cake and eat it later, but the buttercream will have a different texture once frozen. Instead, consider freezing baked cakes without the frosting and add the frosting later. If you have frosted leftovers, you can freeze individual slices of the cake in airtight freezer containers and use them within two to three months.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can bake the cake layers and make the ganache and buttercream a day or two before you assemble and decorate the cake.
Make sure the cakes are wrapped tightly in plastic wrap so they don't dry out and place plastic wrap so it's touching the top of the frosting so it doesn't crust.
No. You can keep it at room temperature for a couple of days, but it will keep longer if refrigerated.
Kept refrigerated in an airtight container, chocolate ganache cake should last for at least a week. The cake will start to dry out once it's been cut into so it could be shorter depending on how hard it gets.
Yes! It will thicken as it sets, so this will definitely work. Just don't spread the ganache to close to the edge before you stack the cakes or make the layer too thick.
More Great Chocolate Ganache Recipes
If you try this recipe, be sure to leave a rating below and also share it on Instagram, and tag me! You can also find me on Facebook and stay up to date on recipe releases by joining the Newsletter!
Chocolate Ganache Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons instant coffee
- 1 cup hot water dissolve the instant coffee granules in to the hot water
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache
- 2 cups semi-sweet baking chocolate chopped
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
Chocolate Ganache Frosting
- 2 cups butter room temperature
- 7 ¼ cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups chocolate ganache
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Soak the bake even strips in water if using and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease three 7-inch or two 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and line the bottom of each pan with a parchment paper circle. Place a 3-inch-wide strip of parchment paper around the sides of each pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Whisk until all of the lumps are smoothed out and the dry ingredients are well incorporated.
- In a separate large bowl, add the buttermilk, vegetable oil, the dissolved coffee in the cup of hot water, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk the wet ingredients together until the eggs are well combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients in three additions. Mix well after each addition. This helps to prevent a lumpy batter.
- Pour the cake batter evenly into the prepared pans making sure it is evenly distributed among the pans.
- Place the soaked bake even strips on the outside of the cake pans.
- Place in the preheated oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes with the baking strips or 25 to 30 if you’re not using the baking strips or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out with moist crumbs or clean. Wet batter means to bake it longer. If you’re using two 8-inch cake pans, bake the layers for 40-45 minutes with the baking strips or 35-40 minutes without them.
- Let the cakes cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before turning out.
- Turn the cakes out onto the wire rack and let cool completely.
- Once cooled to room temperature, wrap each cake layer in plastic wrap and chill in the freezer for 30 minutes if using straight away or set aside to assemble the next day.
Chocolate Ganache
- Place the chopped chocolate in a large heat-proof bowl. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, add the heavy cream and place over medium heat until it begins to bubble. Stir occasionally
- Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate and allow it to sit for about 10 minutes to help the heat melt the chocolate before stirring.
- After 10 minutes, start to whisk the cream and chocolate together in the of the bowl. The chocolate will be completely melted and the ganache is smooth and glossy. Set aside to thicken.
Chocolate Ganache Buttercream Frosting
- In a large bowl, add in the butter. Beat with a hand mixer on medium speed until creamed.
- Add 2 cups of powdered sugar and the vanilla extract. Mix on low speed until the powdered sugar is incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add 3 cups of powdered sugar and mix low until the powdered sugar is all incorporated.
- Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix on low until combined. Scrape down the sides ad bottom of the bowl. Turn mixer to medium/high speed and beat until light and fluffy.
- Add in the 2 ½ cups of chocolate ganache that’s at a pourable consistency and beat until combined. If the ganache has firmed up and no longer will pour, warm up in 20 second intervals in the microwave until you reach a pourable consistency.
Assemble the Cake
- Level the cake layers with a cake leveler or large serrated knife to 1 ¼ inch thickness.
- Place a onto a cake turntable. Spread a little of the buttercream onto the bottom of the cake board or cake plate to secure the cake to it.
- Fill a disposable piping bag fitted with a large round tip with the chocolate ganache buttercream. Pipe or spread a ¼ inch layer of buttercream onto the first layer. Add the next layer of cake and repeat with the second layer of buttercream and add the third layer.
- Run an angled spatula around the side of the cake to flatten the filling against the side of the cake.
- Apply a thin crumb coat of buttercream all over the cake.
- Place in the fridge and chill for 15 minutes.
- Add a large dollop of buttercream on top of the cake and spread a thick layer of buttercream on to the top of the cake and down the sides of the cake. Use a tall metal scraper to create a smooth finish. Chill for another 30 to 45 minutes before adding the ganache drip.
Ganache Drip
- To create the perfect drip, the ganache should be the consistency of a thick syrup. It should reach this consistency 20-30 minutes after you have made it, depending on how warm/cool your kitchen is. If it has firmed up too much, heat it in 10 second bursts in the microwave.
- Always test the ganache first before using it on the cake. To do this, fill a piping bag ⅓ full of ganache. Cut a very small hole in the end of the piping bag and hold above the edge of an upside-down cake pan.
- Squeeze the piping bag in intervals as you turn the cake pan on the turntable. If the drips finish halfway down the pan, it is ready to use on the cake. If the ganache is too runny, allow it to cool for a few more minutes and try again. If it’s too firm, warm an additional 5 to 10 seconds more in the microwave.
- Once the ganache drip is tested and to your liking, hold the piping bag over the top edge of the cake and squeeze gently then firmer in intervals to create random drips as you turn the turntable.
- Spoon more ganache onto the top of the cake and use an angled spatula to smooth it to the edges.
- Place back in the fridge for 15 to 30 minutes to allow the ganache drip to firm up.
Chocolate Swirls
- In a piping bag fitted with a large star tip, I like the Wilton 1M, fill with remaining buttercream.
- Pipe two rosette swirls opposite each other on the top of the cake.
- Pipe four more in between the rosettes on each side so that you have ten in total.
Notes
Nutrition
(Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.)
Very very easy and delicious