Chocolate Gingerbread Cake
This Chocolate Gingerbread Cake is a delicious twist on a holiday classic. A rich chocolate spice cake paired with a silky dark chocolate ganache.
- Prep time
- 2 hr
- Cook time
- 35 min
- Yield
- 12 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- 20 oz good quality dark chocolate (chopped (not bakers chocolate))
- 2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter
- 20 oz good quality dark chocolate (chopped (not bakers chocolate))
- 1+1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1+1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar (packed)
- 3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder (sifted)
- 1+1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- a pinch ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup buttermilk (room temperature)
- 3/4 cup hot water
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp fancy molasses
Instructions
- 1
Place chopped chocolate in a large heatproof bowl.
- 2
In a medium saucepan, combine heavy whipping cream and butter. Cook over med heat, stirring often, until it just starts to simmer.
- 3
Pour hot cream over chopped chocolate and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let sit 5 minutes.
- 4
Stir gently with a spatula until completely smooth.
- 5
Place plastic wrap directly on top of chocolate ganache. Allow to thicken and set overnight.*
- 6
Preheat oven to 350F, grease three 6" round baking pans and dust with cocoa powder. Line bottoms with parchment.
- 7
Place all dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Stir to combine.
- 8
In a medium bowl whisk all wet ingredients (pour water in slowly as not to cook the eggs if very hot).
- 9
Add wet ingredients to dry and mix on medium for 2-3 mins. Batter will be very thin.
- 10
Pour evenly into prepared pans. I used a kitchen scale to ensure the batter is evenly distributed.
- 11
Bake until a cake tester comes out mostly clean. A total of 30-35mins.
- 12
Cool 10 minutes in the pans then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- 13
Cut each layer of cake in half horizontally.
- 14
Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving dish. Top with about 1/2 cup ganache. Repeat with remaining layers. Frost and smooth the outside with a thin crumb coat. Chill for at least 20mins until firm and set.**
- 15
Frost the chilled cake with the remaining ganache. It will start to set against the cold cake.
- 16
Use a decorating comb (I used the bottom side of the one here) on the sides and top of the cake. Run it across the cake a few times to create a rustic look.
- 17
Decorate the top with thyme sprigs and pomegranate seeds if desired.