Chocolate Cake with Espresso Filling
Servings 12
Ingredients
- 3 8" layers of chocolate cake recipe linked below
Espresso Chocolate Ganache:
- 8 ounces dark chocolate 70% cocoa
- 6 tablespoons butter 85 g
- 2 teaspoons vanilla 10 ml
- 1 ¼ cup sugar 250 g
- 1 ¼ cup heavy cream 300 ml
- 2 tablespoons DeLallo instant espresso powder 30 ml
- Pinch of salt
Espresso Mascarpone Cream:
- 8 oz mascarpone
- 1 cup heavy cream 240 ml
- ¼ cup granulated sugar 50 g
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean
- 1 tablespoon DeLallo instant espresso powder 30 ml
- 3 tablespoons freshly ground coffee grounds fine-medium grind
Instructions
Espresso Chocolate Ganache:
- Cut the butter into 6 pieces. The butter should be cold and each piece should be about 1 tablespoon. Set into a medium bowl
- Chop the chocolate into small pieces and add into the bowl with the butter along with the salt and vanilla. Set aside
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat cream and sugar until hot but just before boiling
- Once the cream is heated, mix in the espresso powder
- Pour the heated cream mixture over the chocolate, butter, salt, and vanilla. Let sit for 1 minute then mix until incorporated
- Set in the fridge, stirring every 15-20 minutes until cooled but not hard. The icing should be a spreadable consistency
Espresso Cream:
- In a large bowl, combine the mascarpone cheese and heavy cream. Beat on medium speed until well combined, about 30 seconds.
- Add the sugar, salt, vanilla bean paste, espresso powder, and espresso grounds. Continue to beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 1-2 minutes. Do not over mix or the mixture will split. You want to just mix until soft peaks form
Assembly:
- Prepare the Layers: Level the tops of the cooled cakes with a serrated knife to create even layers.
- Place the first cake layer on a serving plate or cake stand. Pipe a border around the edge so there is about ¼ inch thick border of chocolate ganache icing around the whole cake layer (this will keep in the mascarpone). This can be done with a ziploc filled with ganache that one of the corners has been snipped from
- Top with a generous layer of the mascarpone cream and repeat one more time. Top with the third cake layer.
- Coat the entire cake in the remaining ganache icing