Tuxedo Chocolate Cake Recipe

Prep

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment. Lightly dust with flour or spray with nonstick spray.

Dry ingredients

In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and fine salt until evenly combined.

Wet ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk together the whole milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth.

Combine

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined and no large streaks remain. Do not overmix.

Add hot coffee

Stir in the hot coffee (or hot water); the batter will be thin. This intensifies the chocolate flavor.

Bake

Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Bake for 22–28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Rotate pans halfway through for even baking.

Cool

Let cakes cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges, invert onto racks, remove parchment, and cool completely before assembling (at least 1 hour).

Place the chopped semisweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream just to a simmer (do not boil). Pour hot cream over chocolate and let sit for 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Add the butter and corn syrup (if using) and whisk until glossy. Let cool to room temperature but still pourable (about 20–30 minutes). Use to fill between cake layers.

Bloom gelatin

Sprinkle the gelatin over the 2 tsp cold water and let bloom for 3–5 minutes.

Melt white chocolate

Place the 10 oz chopped white chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Warm 1/2 cup heavy cream to a simmer and pour over the white chocolate. Let sit 1 minute, then stir until smooth. If gelatin has softened, microwave it briefly (5–8 seconds) to dissolve, then stir into the melted white chocolate mixture. Stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract. Let mixture cool until just warm (not setting).

Whip cream

Whip the cold 1.5 cups heavy cream to soft peaks. Reserve about 2–3 tbsp whipped cream for smoothing if desired.

Fold together

Fold one-third of the whipped cream into the cooled white chocolate base to lighten it, then gently fold in the remaining whipped cream until smooth and homogeneous. Chill briefly (10–15 minutes) to firm slightly if needed before assembling so it holds between layers.

If cake layers have domes, level them with a serrated knife so layers are flat. Place one chocolate cake layer on a cake board or serving plate. Spread half of the ganache evenly across the top to form a thin, even filling layer. Chill 10 minutes to set slightly.

Pipe or spread the white chocolate mousse onto the ganache layer in an even, smooth layer about 3/4 inch thick. Place the second cake layer on top, pressing gently to compress and level the mousse. If any mousse squeezes out, clean the edges with a spatula and chill the assembled cake for 20–30 minutes to firm before glazing.

Make glaze

Place the chopped dark chocolate in a bowl. Heat 1/2 cup heavy cream to a simmer and pour over the chocolate. Let sit 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Stir in 1 tbsp butter until glossy. Let the glaze cool slightly until thickened but still pourable (about 5–10 minutes).

Glaze cake

Place the chilled assembled cake on a wire rack set over a sheet pan to catch drips. Pour the glaze over the center of the cake and gently nudge it to flow evenly over the sides. Use an offset spatula to smooth the top if needed. Allow excess to drip off; scrape and save extra glaze to the side (use for serving or extra decoration).

Decorate

While glaze is still tacky, press shaved white chocolate around the top edge or create a pattern as desired. Lightly dust the edges with cocoa powder or powdered sugar if desired. Refrigerate the cake for at least 30 minutes to set the glaze before slicing.

Remove cake from refrigerator 20–30 minutes before serving to soften slightly. Slice with a hot, clean knife (dip in hot water and wipe dry between cuts) for clean slices. Store leftover cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze slices wrapped tightly for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the refrigerator.