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12 Layer Chocolate Cake

Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Cooling 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

Black Magic Cake (see note on origin below)

  • 2 2/3 cups flour 320 g
  • 3 cups sugar 600 g
  • 1 1/8 cup cocoa 135 g
  • 1 tablespoon baking soda 17 g
  • 1.5 teaspoon baking powder 6 g
  • 1.5 teaspoon salt 5 g
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 15 ml
  • 1.5 cup buttermilk 350 ml
  • .75 cup oil canola or vegetable 175 ml
  • 1.5 cup hot coffee 350 ml

Ganache:

  • 10 ounces dark chocolate 70%
  • 10 tablespoons butter 140 g
  • 1 1/2 cup sugar 300 g
  • 1 1/2 cup heavy cream 360 ml
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

Cake:

  • Combine the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Stir together with a whisk until evenly combined
  • Add the vanilla, eggs, buttermilk, and oil and stir until combined
  • Once combined, add the hot coffee. Stir quickly to ensure the hot coffee is evenly distributed. The batter will be very thin
  • Pour the batter into 3 greased and floured 8 or 9" round cake pan and cook for ~30-40 minutes (ovens vary so test with a toothpick in the center and remove when it comes out clean) 350 F – make sure a toothpick comes out clean
  • Set aside to cool

Ganache:

  • To make the ganache, add chocolate, butter, salt, and vanilla into a bowl. Set asideIn a small pan over medium heat, heat cream and sugar until hot but just before boiling
  • Pour the heated cream and sugar over the bowl of chocolate and let it set for 1 minute. Stir until smooth
  • Set in the fridge until cooled but not hard
  • Assembly:
  • Take the cooled cake and even out the tops by evenly slicing off the rounded part off of each cake layer with a serrated knife so it is flat.
  • Once they are flat, carefully cut cake each layer in half. You should now have 6 even layers
  • Then assemble the cake, putting down one layer then around ~1/6 of the ganache, spreading in an even layer. You should have 12 layers in total of alternative cake and ganache once complete.

Notes

Cake recipe based off of the classic “Hershey’s Black Magic Cake”