Death by Chocolate Cake

I find an opportunity to bake at the drop of a hat.A new appealing recipe with ingredients ready in my kitchen sees me rushing to line my pans and pull out my weighing scale and hand held mixer,switch on the music and bake to glory.But when someone asks me to bake something in particular,I am huffing and puffing and losing patience even if the slightest thing goes wrong.

It was Ajay's birthday on 26th and as usual,I started thinking about which cake to bake almost two weeks back.During a casual talk I asked him if he had any preferences and expected the usual answer -anything which you likeor anything which is easy.But no,he HAD a choice after all.He asked me to bake a Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Cream and Chocolate Ganache,I rubbed my eyes in amusement-maybe married to a food blogger has rubbed on him too,I mean such precise choices,ganache did you say?Being the chocoholics we are,there was no dearth of chocolate cake recipes in my repertoire,but I wanted something special as the birthday boy ought to have what he wants but in a special way.

I zeroed in on Hershey's Perfect Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Whipped Cream and Chocolate Ganache.Now that is what I call a Death by Chocolate Cake!Death by Chocolate CakeMain Ingredients required

Hershey's Perfect Chocolate CakeChocolate Whipped Cream [Filling]Chocolate GanacheSoaking SyrupHershey's Perfect Chocolate CakeRecipe source - Hershey's

IngredientsSugar - 2 cups

Flour - 1 3/4 cups

Cocoa Powder - 3/4 cup[I used Cadbury's]

Baking powder - 1 1/2 tsp

Baking soda - 1 1/2 tsp

Salt - 1 tsp

Eggs - 2

Milk - 1 cup

Vanilla extract - 2 tsp

Oil - 1/2 cup

Boiling water - 1 cup

MethodPreheat oven to 175C.Grease and line two 9' round cake tins.

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl.

Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

Chocolate Whipped CreamRecipe source - Dorie Greenspan's BFMHTY

IngredientsDark Chocolate - 3oz [approximately 85gms]

Heavy Cream - 2 cups [I used 400 ml Amul Cream]

Sugar - 2-3 tbsp

MethodIn a thick bottomed saucepan boil the cream along with the sugar.

In a big mixing bowl add the chopped chocolate and the boiling cream and mix well using a whisk.

Let it cool to room temperature and then refrigerate.

[The cream whips well if it is refrigerated for 4 hours or more,better still refrigerate it for 24 hours].

If you have refrigerated it for only 4 hours,it is better to whip it using an ice-bath otherwise,beat the cream well using a hand held mixer until it starts forming soft peaks.

Keep refrigerated until use.

Chocolate GanacheIngredientsDark Chocolate - 200 gms[I used Morde]

Cream - 200 ml[I used Amul]

MethodChop the chocolate and keep aside.

Heat the cream until it starts boiling,add to the chocolate and stir well using a whisk.

Let it come to room temperature and then refrigerate it.

Ganache thickens as it cools down,so if it has become too thick to be poured on top of the cake as a glaze,microwave it using 10 second spurts until it becomes the required consistency.

Soaking SyrupMix together 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water along with a tsp rum or vanilla and mix well.refrigerate till required.

Assembling the cakePoke small holes on the cakes using a toothpick and using a pastry brush,apply the soaking syrup all over.

Sandwich the cooled cakes using the chocolate whipped cream and crumb coat the cake.Chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.

Apply the cream on top and sides to cover the cake completely.

Pour the ganache glaze on top and tilt the cake slightly so that it is equally distributed on top of the cake.

Make a spidey web pattern on top using the cream.

Pipe swirls on the sides of the cake using the ganache.

Serve chilled.

I had planned to make a lace border just like last year,but it wouldn't have looked that good since it was only chocolate all the way through.So made a small deviation from the original plan.I smeared melted chocolate very thinly on wax paper cut according to the border size of the cake and coated the sides of the cake with the paper.Chilled the cake for a while and then removed the paper.It hasn't come out that well but you'd hardly notice it once you start eating the cake!

How did we the birthday boy like it-I was keeping my fingers crossed as he cut his cake.One bite,as he closed his eyes and relished the cake,I got my answer.He loved it totally and had 3 slices!!For me,it was THE perfect chocolate cake in every ways possible.Don't go by the longish recipes,every element can be made ahead of time and refrigerated.Bake the cakes,make the ganache and make the prep work for the cream a day before and you are done.On the day of assembling,just put everything together and tada,you'll have a great cake!