Chocolate Cake with Ganache Frosting + Video

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What is it like?

- Super chocolaty

- Perfectly balanced with a hint of fruity cranberries

- Classy frosting which takes less than 5 minutes to make!

 
Note: The recipe below is for one layer of cake. If your’e feeling ambitious, you could slice the cake in half and fill it with ganache or jam (example above). Or, if you have made this style of cake before and have a very tall cake pan, you could b…

Note: The recipe below is for one layer of cake. If your’e feeling ambitious, you could slice the cake in half and fill it with ganache or jam (example above). Or, if you have made this style of cake before and have a very tall cake pan, you could bake two layers and then stack them. However, I recommend starting simple — You will be amazed to have made such a classy, homemade cake!

 
 

Recipe

This cake is moist and light. It’s bursting with chocolate flavor which is balanced by the fruitiness of the cranberries. In my book, it’s good for just about any occasion. And the frosting, with its classy look, could not be simpler.

Makes one 9-inch round cake or one 8 x 8 inch cake. This recipe can be used to make cupcakes or whoopee pies.


Dry
dry 1 cup flour mix, 130g
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 32g (see note)
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 tsp psyllium husk powder or 1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 tsp sea salt

Wet
scant 3/4 cup sunflower oil or olive oil, 157g
1 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar, 263g
2 large eggs, 107g
1 1/4 cups cranberries, 125g
1/2 cup minus 1 tbsp water, 100g
2 tsp vanilla extract

Ganache Frosting:
510g / 17.9oz / 2 3/4 cups semisweet chocolate pieces or chocolate chips
510g / 17.9oz cream OR for dairy free: 370g / 13 oz coconut milk (see note)


Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F / 175C. Grease a 9-inch (23 cm) cake tin with oil (one that is at least 2 inches or 5 cm tall). Use a cake tin with removable sides. If you do not have one, you can just use a regular cake pan, but you will need to serve the cake from that dish since it will not be easy to remove.

  2. Add the fresh (or frozen and thawed) cranberries to your food processor and pulse (or chop by hand) until they are roughly chopped and the size of the pieces vary (see video). Do not puree. If all of the cranberries are too small, the flavor will not come through in the cake. Set aside.

  3. In a medium sized bowl whisk together the dry ingredients. Sift your baking soda and cocoa if there are any lumps.

  4. In a large bowl whisk together the wet ingredients, adding the cranberries last.

  5. Add one third of the flour mixture to the wet mixture. Give it a couple of folds with a spatula before adding half of the remaining flour. Give the batter a few more turns before adding the remaining flour. Stir just until the flour is incorporated. Do not worry if there are a few lumps.

  6. Pour the batter into the cake tin and bake for about 30 minutes or just until a knife inserted into the middle of the cake comes out with a few crumbs attached. Allow to cool completely in the tin.

  7. Once the cake is cool, make the ganache. Combine the chocolate pieces and coconut cream. Warm in a pan over low heat (stirring continuously) or in 30-second increments in the microwave, stirring thoroughly between heating. Heat just until the mixture is completely melted and smooth, and until it is fairly warm to the touch (see note).

  8. Pour about two thirds of the mixture over the cake, reserving the rest for another use (see note). Allow the cake to set for a couple of hours before serving.

Optional:  Serve with whipped cream or whipped coconut cream. 


Notes:

  • Dairy free: This cake is excellent dairy free. Surprisingly you cannot taste the coconut in the chocolate ganache. I used Thai Kitchen coconut milk, which worked well.

  • Heating ganache: If your ganache isn’t warm enough it will not spread very well over the cake. In this recipe's video demonstration the ganache had actually cooled a little too much, leaving a few ripples on top of the cake (since the chocolate was so thick from being slightly cooled). So, if you want a very smooth top, you need to have a runnier/warmer ganache heated to 90F to 110F (32C to 38C). Also, be very gentle when you stir and pour the ganache so as not to incorporate air bubbles.

  • Extra ganache: It is good to have extra ganache for two reasons. First, it is excellent with ice cream, made into chocolate milk, formed into truffles, or just enjoyed as-is. Secondly, if you are making this cake a day or two ahead (it is a great make-ahead cake because it stays moist) you can add an extra thin layer of ganache on top if needed. For instance, the first time I made this cake I stored it in the fridge. While this is not recommended since cold and ganache do not generally mix, I did it anyway. Despite, careful storing, some condensation formed on the top of the cake making the ganache look splotchy. So I just melted some of the leftover ganache (also stored in the fridge) and spread a thin layer over the top. It gave the cake a fresh shine, and because the ganache was a thin layer, it set within an hour.