Classic Chocolate Cake with Ganache

Chocolate Cake Dessert Birthday Party Classic Baking

A good chocolate cake stands or falls with the base. Not too dry, not too sticky, but baked just right from edge to edge. With the right cake pans in your kitchen you’ll bake a result to be proud of every time.

This recipe gives you a light chocolate sponge as a base, finished with a rich ganache of dark chocolate and cream. Tasty, impressive and honestly not even that hard to make.

x_ckl_recipe_markerClassic Chocolate Cake with Ganache A classic chocolate cake with a light chocolate sponge and a thick ganache. Perfect for birthdays, celebrations or simply when you fancy something delicious. How to make a classic chocolate cake with ganache? Dessert French 10-12 servings 25 min 30-35 min 10 min 30 min approx. 1 hour 40 min

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Lightly grease the cake tin and dust it with a little cocoa powder.
Melt the dark chocolate and the butter together in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (bain-marie). Stir until smooth and let cool slightly.
Beat the eggs with the sugar in a large bowl on high speed until airy and pale yellow, about 5 minutes.
Gently fold the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Take care not to knock out the air.
Sift the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder over the batter. Fold everything together gently until smooth.
Pour the batter into the cake tin and bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven. Insert a skewer into the center: if it comes out dry, the cake is done.
Let the cake cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove the ring and let the cake cool completely on a wire rack.
Make the ganache: heat the cream in a saucepan until just below boiling. Remove from the heat and add the finely chopped dark chocolate. Let sit for 2 minutes, then stir until smooth. Add the butter and stir until the ganache is glossy.
Let the ganache sit at room temperature for 15 minutes until it thickens slightly. Pour it over the cooled cake and spread evenly over the top and sides.
Allow the ganache to set, at least 30 minutes in the fridge. Garnish as desired with chocolate shavings or a pinch of sea salt and serve at room temperature.

Chocolate Cake Dessert Birthday Party Classic Baking 200 g 70% dark chocolate 150 g unsalted butter 4 eggs (medium) 180 g caster sugar 100 g plain flour 30 g unsweetened cocoa powder 1 tsp baking powder Pinch of salt For the ganache: 200 ml heavy cream 200 g dark chocolate, finely chopped 30 g unsalted butter Optional: chocolate shavings or coarse sea salt for garnish Cake tin (ø 24-26 cm) with removable base Mixing bowl Hand mixer or stand mixer Spatula Sieve Saucepan Wire rack Skewer Cake molds pie-dish Mixing Bowl mixing-bowl Cake grates cooling-rack Sauce pan saucepan Birkmann Cake Mould / Baking Mould / Quiche Mould Laib & Seele ø 20 x 3 cm Birkmann Taartvorm, Quichevorm Birkmann Cake Mould / Baking Mould / Quiche Mould with loose base Premium Baking ø 10 x 2 cm - 6 Pieces Birkmann Taartvorm, Quichevorm Birkmann Cake Mould/ Baking Mould/ Quiche Mould Premium Baking Flan ø 30 x 4.5 cm Birkmann Taartvorm, Quichevorm Hazelnut-pumpkin caramel tart foodies-hazelnut-pumpkin-caramel-tart Classic lemon cake foodies-classic-lemon-cake Classic Pflaumenkuchen with fresh plums foodies-classic-pflaumenkuchen-with-fresh-plums Gluten-free almond flour brownies with pecans and sea salt foodies-gluten-free-almond-flour-brownies-with-pecans-and-sea-salt

Recipe

Classic Chocolate Cake with Ganache

A classic chocolate cake with a light chocolate sponge and a thick ganache. Perfect for birthdays, celebrations or simply when you fancy something delicious.

Course	Dessert
Kitchen	French
Servings	10-12 servings

Preparation time

Preparation time	25 min
Time in oven	30-35 min
Stiffen up min.	10 min
Cooling time	30 min
Total	approx. 1 hour 40 min

Equipment

Cake tin (ø 24-26 cm) with removable base
Mixing bowl
Hand mixer or stand mixer
Spatula
Sieve
Saucepan
Wire rack
Skewer

Ingredients

200 g 70% dark chocolate
150 g unsalted butter
4 eggs (medium)
180 g caster sugar
100 g plain flour
30 g unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
For the ganache: 200 ml heavy cream
200 g dark chocolate, finely chopped
30 g unsalted butter
Optional: chocolate shavings or coarse sea salt for garnish

How to make a classic chocolate cake with ganache?

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Lightly grease the cake tin and dust it with a little cocoa powder.
Melt the dark chocolate and the butter together in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (bain-marie). Stir until smooth and let cool slightly.
Beat the eggs with the sugar in a large bowl on high speed until airy and pale yellow, about 5 minutes.
Gently fold the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Take care not to knock out the air.
Sift the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder over the batter. Fold everything together gently until smooth.
Pour the batter into the cake tin and bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven. Insert a skewer into the center: if it comes out dry, the cake is done.
Let the cake cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove the ring and let the cake cool completely on a wire rack.
Make the ganache: heat the cream in a saucepan until just below boiling. Remove from the heat and add the finely chopped dark chocolate. Let sit for 2 minutes, then stir until smooth. Add the butter and stir until the ganache is glossy.
Let the ganache sit at room temperature for 15 minutes until it thickens slightly. Pour it over the cooled cake and spread evenly over the top and sides.
Allow the ganache to set, at least 30 minutes in the fridge. Garnish as desired with chocolate shavings or a pinch of sea salt and serve at room temperature.

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A crisp, evenly baked base really makes the difference in a chocolate cake. Make sure your tin distributes heat well and has a removable base so you can serve it effortlessly after baking without anything crumbling. That's not luxury, that's just smart baking.

Leftover ganache? Keep it in the fridge and use it the next day as truffle filling or as a sauce over ice cream. Nothing goes to waste, everything tastes good. And that cake? It's even better tomorrow than today.