Chocolate layer cake with chocolate ganache

This is a chocolate cake that ticks all the boxes. Incredibly moist, light and fudgy, intensely chocolate-y. It looks incredibly impressive, yet it couldn’t be easier to make and decorate. And it slowly sinked in me that the cake was a hit! Crumb by crumb as I tasted it all along the day, and "Yes! That's the best cake ever".

You have to prepare the chocolate ganache first as it takes some time for the chocolate ganache to set. Then prepare the chocolate cake, sandwich it with chocolate buttercream and cover the cake with chocolate buttercream. Finally pour chocolate ganache. Let the cake sit for about 3 hours until the chocolate sets. Then slice and serve. These cake slices also can be frozen. Tightly wrap each cake slice with plastic wrap and then put them in a ziplock bag. Freezes up to 2 weeks. 

Ingredients

For the cake

250g salted butter (softened) 

225g sugar

5 eggs 

200g flour 

3 tbsp cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda 

1/4 cup milk (or 2 tbsp milk powder+3 tbsp cold water)

For the chocolate buttercream frosting 

100g salted butter

300g Icing sugar

1 tbsp milk

2 tbsp cocoa powder (dark/ semi-sweet)

For the chocolate ganache

125g cooking chocolate (dark/ semi-sweet)

250ml heavy whipping cream

Directions

For the chocolate ganache

1. Finely chop the cooking chocolate. Add it in to a heat proof bowl.
2. Heat heavy whipping  cream in a saucepan. When it comes to a boil pour it on to the chopped cooking chocolate. Let it sit for 2 minutes. The  stir well until the chocolate melts. Let the chocolate ganache come to room temperature. Until that prepare the chocolate cake. 

For the chocolate cake

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes. (the oven should be hot when you put the cake)
2. Sift flour+baking powder + cocoa powder together twice. (baking soda is added last, do not sift it with flour)
3. Beat butter and sugar well until creamy. 
4. Add one egg at a time and beat well until creamy.
5. Then add the sifted flour and cocoa and fold with a spatula until combined.( Do not beat, fold it)
6. Finally add the baking soda to the milk and mix it with the cake batter. Mix well or fold with a spatula until combined. (do not beat ) 
7. Pour the batter to a lined rectangle baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes under 180 degree Celsius. (Keep an eye after minutes, each oven is different)
8. To make the buttercream, sift icing sugar and cocoa powder together. Beat butter adding little icing sugar and cocoa powder at a time. Beat well. Finally add the milk and beat well. 
9. Once the cake is baked let it cool completely. Divide the cake in to three equal pieces. Then sandwich each cake layer with chocolate butter cream. 
   
   
   
10. Cover the cake with a thin layer of chocolate buttercream. The chocolate ganache has to attach to the cake, so it's important to cover the cake with buttercream. 
11. Place the cake on a wired rack and place a clean baking tray below. 
    
    
    
12. Then pour the chocolate ganache over the cake. Make sure to apply chocolate ganache evenly. take chocolate ganache that's spilled on the baking tray and apply wherever necessary. 
13. Let the cake set for about 3 hours. You can also chill the cake to make it set. Slice and serve! Enjoy!