Black-out cake

1 Servings

Ingredients

QuantityIngredient
¾cupButter, softened
3teaspoonsBaking soda
3cupsSugar
3Eggs
½teaspoonSalt
¾cupButtermilk
1⅓cupBoiling water
4ouncesUnsweetned chocolate, melted
3cupsFlour
¾cupRoasted almonds, diced
2teaspoonsVanilla extract
18ouncesSemisweet choclatechips(3cup
cupHeavy cream
1teaspoonVanilla
2tablespoonsButter,cut up

Directions

CAKE

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

1.Preheat oven to 350 F. grease 2 nine inch round cake pans. Dust with flour, tap out excess. 2.In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar with electric mixer or medium speed until light and fluffy,1-2 minutes. add eggs and vanilla and beat until well blended. add chocolate and beat 1-2 minutes. 3.Mix together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to chocolate mixture in two additions alternately with buttermilk. Beat until well blended. With mixer on low speed, add boiling water and beat until smooth( batter will be thin) Pour batter into prepared pans. 4.Bake 35-40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pans 10 minutes, then unmold onto racks and let cool completely. 5.Make Chocolate Ganache:In a 2 qart glass measure, combine chocolate chips and heavy cream. Heat in a microwave oven on HIGH 3 minutes, or until melted and smooth when stirred. Stir in butter and vanilla. 6.Cover and refrigerate 1 hour, or until ganache holds its shape and is thick enough to spread on cake. 7.Cover a cake layer with a little more than ⅓ of chocolate ganache. Set second layer on top. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining ganache. Press almonds into side of cake. Refrigerate cake 3-4 hours, or until ganache is firm, before serving.