Chocolate cake Gillian
 
 
I can say this is a super cake. Super moist with loads of chocolate and topped with Swiss meringue buttercream! If you want something sensational, this is your cake! Trust me ;-). I named it Chocolate Cake Gillian because I made it for my special friend Gill.
Author:
Recipe type: desert
Cuisine: Canadian, Romanian
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • Sponge cakes:
  • 250 gr flour(1¾ cups)
  • 80 gr cocoa ( ¾ cups)
  • 400 gr sugar (2 cups)
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 125 ml oil (1/2 cups
  • 250 ml buttermilk (1 cup)
  • 125 ml fresh brewed coffee (1/2 cups)
  • Chocolate ganache with cream cheese:
  • 200 gr (1⅓ cups chocolate chips) milk chocolate or dark chocolate with 55% cocoa
  • 200 ml whipping cream (2/3 cup)
  • 1 package Philadelphia cream cheese (250 gr)
  • Swiss meringue buttercream:
  • 300 gr caster sugar (1½ cups)
  • 6 egg whites
  • 454 gr butter (4 sticks) with 80% fat
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 200 gr (3/4 cups) gr melted chocolate (milk or dark)
  • Chocolate Glaze:
  • 100 gr milk chocolate (2/3 cup)
  • 100 ml whipping cream (1/2 cup)
  • 1 tbsp honey
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven at 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch x 2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.
  2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
  3. Chocolate ganache with cream cheese:
  4. Put whipped cream into a stainless steel saucepan and put it on low heat.
  5. When it is almost boiling chocolate chips and let it rest for 1 minute then stir with a whisk until chocolate has melted and becomes glossy and creamy.
  6. Allow the ganache to cool in the freezer for approx. 15 minutes.
  7. When cool, beat the ganache cream with an electric mixer until it becomes fluffy and pale.Do not over beat! Add gradually cream cheese at room temperature (cut in cubes).
  8. Swiss meringue buttercream:
  9. Put egg whites into a bowl and add sugar. Transfer the bowl over a pot with simmering water and stir in the egg whites until sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes.
  10. Set up the bowl with the paddle attachment and whisk the egg whites for 5 minutes at medium speed. Increase the speed and add butter at room temperature gradually. Link with video here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=604wHqcQ8f0
  11. This meringue is perfect for piping, it can stay at room temperature for hours. In case you have some left over, you can refrigerate it and reuse it! Before reusing, let it warm up at room temperature, it becomes soft and easy to pipe ;-)
  12. At the end, add melted chocolate for chocolate flavor!
  13. Assembling the cake:
  14. In between the two sponge cakes put the ganache cream and level it with a spatula.
  15. Cover the cake with swiss meringue buttercream then pour the chocolate glaze. On top of the glaze (when it s cold) pipe roses with the rest of swiss meringue buttercream.
  16. Chocolate glaze:
  17. For the glaze, put cream over low heat and heat up until almost boiling. Add the chocolate and let it rest for 1 minute. Stir well with a whisk until chocolate has melted and mixture is glossy. Add a tablespoon of honey and stir well.
  18. Let the glaze cool down at room temperature, then pour over the cake.
  19. I sprinkled some puffed quinoa covered in chocolate on the sides of the cake. You can use any other sprinkles if you like!
  20. Before serving, let the cake warm up at room temperature for 20-30 minutes. Buttercream hardens in the fridge.
  21. Enjoy this deviliciousness :-)
Recipe by gabriela cuisine at http://gabrielacuisine.ro/chocolate-cake-gillian/