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Turn your home into a NYC bakery vibe with this super rich chocolate cake, boasting a super moist texture and fluffy whipped ganache. This easier take on the famous blackout cake packs tons of chocolate punch without any fancy methods or weird ingredients you can't find.
I've tried over twenty chocolate cake recipes, and this one always gives amazing results without much hassle. The whipped ganache turns into this dreamy, cloud-like topping that's way easier to work with than regular buttercream.
Key Components:
- Good cocoa powder - Dutch-process gives a deeper, richer color and taste
- Brown sugar - brings extra moisture and hints of caramel
- Sour cream - makes the cake incredibly tender
- Chocolate bars - don't use chips if you want smooth ganache
- Hot coffee - brings out chocolate flavors without making it taste like coffee
Step-by-Step Guide:
- Nail Your Ganache
- Cut chocolate into small, similar-sized pieces so it melts evenly
- Warm cream just until it steams - don't let it bubble or boil
- Don't stir right away after adding chocolate
- Let it cool on the counter, checking how thick it's getting
- Get The Batter Right
- Mix cocoa with hot liquid until completely smooth
- Beat wet stuff until it looks uniform
- Mix in dry ingredients slowly and don't overdo it
- Gently bang pan to get rid of air bubbles
- Bake It Perfectly
- Put rack in the middle of your oven
- Turn the pan around halfway through baking time
- Look for the sides pulling away from the pan
- Check different spots with a toothpick to make sure it's done
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My grandma always added a tiny bit of espresso powder to make chocolate taste more chocolatey - I've used this trick here and it works wonders.
Picking The Right Chocolate:
Through lots of trial and error, I've found that chocolate quality really changes how good your cake turns out. I like using chocolate with 60-70% cacao for the perfect mix of sweetness and rich chocolate flavor.
Getting Temperatures Right:
Working in a bakery taught me that chocolate needs the right temperature. Your ganache should be cool enough to stay put but warm enough to spread without tearing the cake.
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This Brooklyn Blackout Cake has become the dessert I'm known for. The mix of deep chocolate flavor with that fluffy whipped ganache makes a cake people always ask me to make again and again.
The Magic of Whipped Ganache
After making this tons of times, I found that timing matters most for perfect ganache. Let the mix cool until it forms a soft peak when you lift your spoon - usually takes about half an hour at room temp. This creates a frosting that goes on smooth and sets with a nice shine.
Choosing Your Chocolate
Chocolate with 60-70% cacao works best here. Grocery store brands can work fine, but spending a bit more on Ghirardelli or Guittard really takes this cake up a notch. I learned this at a chocolate tasting class that changed how I bake forever.
Prepping In Advance
This cake actually tastes better the next day as the flavors get stronger. You can wrap the unfrosted cake tight and freeze it up to 3 months. For parties, I often bake it days ahead, freeze it, then thaw and frost on the day we'll eat it.
All About Cocoa Types
Dutch-process cocoa makes a darker cake with smoother flavor, while regular cocoa has a fruitier taste. Both work great in this recipe - I've tried both many times while creating this recipe. Regular cocoa works really well with the coffee in the batter.
Fixing Common Problems
Knowing some cake science helps avoid mistakes. If your cake sinks in the middle, your baking powder might be old or your oven temperature off. If it's too dense, make sure your ingredients weren't cold and that you didn't mix too much. I learned these tricks from teaching baking classes.
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Final Thoughts:
Check your oven with a separate thermometer
Lighter metal pans work better for even baking
Keep it under a cake dome at room temperature
This Brooklyn Blackout Cake shows how good chocolate cake can be when kept simple. After tweaking it for years, it's become the chocolate cake everyone asks me to make, showing that sometimes the easiest approach makes the most amazing dessert.
Frequently Asked Questions
- → Can I swap chocolate chips for bars?
- Better to use chocolate bars for smoother melting, as chips have additives that can change texture.
- → What’s the point of adding coffee?
- Coffee deepens the chocolate's flavor without making it taste of coffee. Hot water works too.
- → Can I prep this cake early?
- Sure! It stays fresh at room temp for 3 days or chilled up to 5 days.
- → Why should I whip the ganache?
- Whipping makes it airy, spreadable, and gives it a velvety, mousse-like feel.
- → What if my ganache turns too hard?
- Warm it in the microwave for 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each round, until soft enough to spread.