Death By Chocolate Recipe

Prepare

Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line two 9-inch round cake pans (or three 8-inch pans) with parchment; grease parchment and dust lightly with flour or cocoa.

Whisk together dry ingredients: in a large bowl sift or whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.

Combine wet ingredients: in a medium bowl whisk the eggs until blended, then add buttermilk, warm coffee, vegetable oil, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. The warm coffee helps bloom the cocoa and keeps batter thin — that produces a moist crumb.

Incorporate wet and dry: pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir with a flexible spatula or wooden spoon until just combined and no large streaks of flour remain. Batter will be fairly thin and glossy.

Divide and bake: divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Tap pans gently on counter to release large air bubbles. Bake on center rack 28–34 minutes for 9-inch pans (20–26 minutes for 8-inch), or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but not wet batter.

Cool: remove cakes from oven and let rest 10 minutes in pans, then run a knife around edges, invert onto wire racks, remove parchment, and cool completely (1–2 hours) before filling and assembling. If in a hurry, chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm crumb.

Chop chocolate: place finely chopped chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. If using espresso powder, stir it into the chocolate pieces.

Heat cream: in a small saucepan, bring heavy cream and corn syrup (if using) just to a simmer over medium heat until small bubbles form around the edge. Do not boil.

Pour and rest: pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate, ensuring all chocolate is covered. Let stand undisturbed 2–3 minutes to soften the chocolate.

Emulsify: gently stir from the center outward with a spatula until smooth and glossy and no streaks remain. Add the butter and salt and continue stirring until butter is fully incorporated and ganache is silky. If the mixture is cool and firm, gently microwave in 10–15 second bursts, stirring between, until spreadable.

Chill to spreadable consistency: let ganache cool at room temperature until thick but still spreadable for filling (20–40 minutes). For a thicker frosting, refrigerate and stir every 5–10 minutes until desired firmness.

Make soak: combine the brewed coffee (or store-bought dark chocolate syrup), sugar, and vanilla in a small bowl or measuring cup. Stir until sugar dissolves. Taste and adjust sweetness. Keep warm or at room temperature until ready to use.

Level cakes: if cake domes formed, level the tops with a serrated knife to create flat layers for stacking.

Soak (optional): place first cake layer on serving plate or cake board. Using a pastry brush or spoon, lightly brush about 2–3 tablespoons of the coffee/chocolate soak over the cut surface to moisten and intensify chocolate flavor.

Fill with ganache: spread a generous layer (about 1/3–1/2 of ganache) over the first layer, smoothing with an offset spatula. Repeat with remaining layers, brushing each cut surface with soak if desired and adding ganache between layers. Save enough ganache (about 1/3) for final coating.

Crumb coat: apply a thin layer of ganache around the sides and top to trap crumbs. Chill the cake 15–20 minutes to set the crumb coat.

Final coat: spread the remaining ganache evenly over top and sides with a clean offset spatula for a smooth finish. For an ultra-smooth look, warm your spatula with hot water, dry it, and lightly smooth the ganache.

Garnish: dust the top lightly with unsweetened cocoa powder and scatter chocolate shavings or curls around the edge or in the center. Refrigerate briefly to fully set ganache, then bring to room temperature 20–30 minutes before serving for best texture.

Storage: store leftover cake covered in refrigerator up to 4 days. For serving, remove 20–30 minutes ahead to soften. Ganache-finished cake may also be frozen (wrapped tightly) up to 2 months; thaw overnight in refrigerator.