Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache

Sometimes life calls for decadence. 

Like when the family gathers to celebrate Grandma's birthday, and when that Grandma has specifically stated that she loves chocolate. But not just any chocolate. Rich, dark, decadent, chocolatey chocolate. It was more like a demand, actually. She demanded chocolate on her birthday, as only a grandma can do. So I delivered this chocolate cake. 

Oh my, was it ever chocolatey! The cake was moist, with a deep chocolate highlighted by the coffee. The marriage of chocolate and coffee? I'm a fan. I drizzled the ganache on the cake while it was still warm. For a more spreadable frosting consistency, allow the ganache to cool a bit. Leftover ganache can be made into truffles, by the way. Just roll the ganache into balls, covered in cocoa powder, and store them in the fridge. 

P.S. The cake won Grandma's approval.

Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache (cake from All Recipes, ganache adapted from Joy of Baking)

Cake:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup strong brewed coffee
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ganache:
9 ounces dark or semisweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt pan. In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center. Add eggs, coffee, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. Batter will be thin. Pour into prepared pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 50-60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and finish cooling on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, make chocolate ganache. Place the chopped chocolate in a medium sized heatproof bowl. Set aside. Heat the cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. (Can also heat the cream and butter in the microwave.) Bring just to a boil. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand, without stirring, for a few minutes. Stir gently (as you do not want to incorporate air into the ganache) with a spoon or whisk until smooth. Let cool for a few minutes. Allow the ganache to cool slightly. Pour over cake, Working quickly, spread the ganache with a large metal spatula or knife, using big strokes to push the ganache over the sides of the cake. (This will create an even coating of ganache.) If there are any bare spots on the sides of the cake, cover with ganache. Let the ganache set before covering and storing the cake.