Chocolate Ganache Cake

This is a fun cake to make and is very impressive to serve.  The only thing better than those 2 things is its taste!  I made this 2 times in May this year because my son's second grade teacher is a chocolate fan.  We made one for her and my son and husband were disappointed to see it go out the door, so we made another one the following weekend.  Having helped on the first one, my son did most of the work of the second one!

This comes from a 1997 Gourmet magazine.  I changed the order in which I make the steps.  There are 3 basic steps, ganache, genoise cake, and glaze. 

Begin with the ganache because it has to be refrigerated.  Add to an empty pot, 1 1/4 C Heavy Cream, 2 Tbl UnSalted Butter, 2 Tbl light Corn Syrup.  Over medium high heat, bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and add 1 Lb Semi Sweet or Bitter Sweet Chocolate.  I like to use Ghiradelli or Lindt.

For the genoise, preheat oven to 350.  Prepare a 9" cake pan with 2" sides, by buttering the pan, adding a circle of parchement and buttering the parchment.  In a small bowl, add 1/3 C sifted (do this before measuring) Droste Cocoa Powder, 1/3 Cup Flour, 1/3 C Cornstarch, and a pinch of Baking Soda.  Using a wire whip, mix these ingredients together. 

Place 2-3" of water in a pot and simmer over medium high heat.  In a metal bowl that will fit tightly over the  pot of water creating a double boiler, whisk together 3 Eggs, 3 Egg Yolks, 2/3 C Sugar, and 1/4 tsp Salt.  Place bowl over simmering water and whisk until just lukewarm.  Remove bowl from heat and using a hand mixer, beat until mixture has cooled and doubled in volume.  Sift 1/3 of the flour mixture over the eggs and fold together.  Repeat 2 more times until batter is mixed together.  Pour batter in pan and place on the middle shelf of the oven.  Bake for 30 minutes until cake is firm to the touch and pulls away from pan slightly.  Once done invert onto a rack and invert a 2nd time onto a rack and let cake cool with the top upward.

Make Syrup, in a pan, add 1/3 C Water and 1/3 C Sugar and place over medium heat to disolve sugar.  Remove from heat and let cool and add 1/3 C Chambord.  Note, I usually forego the syrup and use only the 1/2 C Raspberry Jam beween layers. 

Let ganache stand at room temperature til it is cool but pliable.  Beat with a hand mixer until light and fluffy. 

Remove parchment from cooled cake and using a long serrated bread knife, cut the cake into 3rds using a sawing motion, cutting straight across keeping the knife level.  This part is tricky, just stay calm and take your time.  Take top layer and place it upside down on a flat base or a cake plate.  Brush with 1/3 of the syrup, spread with 1/2 of the jam and spread with 1/3 of the ganache.  Add the next layer and repeat.  Add the bottom, bottom (flat side up) and top with syrup and ganache.  Chill cake for 30 minutes, while you do some clean up.

Make glaze.  To a saucepan, bring 1 Cup Heavy Cream and rmove from heat.  Add 8 oz coarsley chopped Semi Sweet or Bittersweet Chocolate.  Swirl until the chocolate is covered in cream.  Let sit for 2 minutes.  Whisk until combined and strain over the cake to top.  You will have to use an offset cake spatula as you go to glaze the top and sides of the cake.  The cake will set up in about 5 minutes.  Garnish with Fresh Raspberries.  This cake is rich and can be cut into small slices so if feeds 10-12 people easily.  It's a lot of work but it is truly a gourmet delight!  When you say "look what I made", your own arm won't be long enough to pat yourself on the back!!