Recipe by Vicki Chisholm
Best of Show, Cakes, 2018
Baking temperature: 350º F
Baking time: 35 - 45 minutes
Yield: 24 pieces
Ingredients
Cake:
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 baking powder
- 2 baking soda
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup packed Domino light brown sugar
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup hot coffee
- 1 cup milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla
Chocolate Ganache:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 12 oz. chocolate chips
Caramel Sauce:
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 sticks butter
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ tsp. sea salt
Fudge Frosting:
- ½ cup dark chocolate cocoa
- ½ cup boiling water
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 4 ½ sticks butter
- 20 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate (5, 4 oz. bars)
Strawberry Sauce:
- 1 pint strawberries
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice
Chocolate Decorations:
- 7 melted chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup light corn syrup
Instructions
Fudge Frosting:
- Melt the baking chocolate in 30 second intervals in the microwave until completely melted.
- Stir until well combined.
- Let sit to room temperature.
- Mix cocoa in boiling water until thick paste forms.
- Beat the powdered sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the cooled melted chocolate and then beat in cocoa.
Strawberry Sauce:
- Cut strawberries into small pieces.
- Cook all ingredients over low heat for 30 minutes.
- Let cool.
Putting the cake together:
- Cut rounds into two layers.
- Stack layers with fillings of ganache, fudge frosting, then ganache.
- Frost cake with fudge frosting, then chill.
- Warm the ganache until thin consistency.
- Pour over chilled cake.
- Chill cake.
- Pour or drizzle the caramel sauce over the chilled cake.
- Sprinkle sea salt over the top.
- Pipe fudge frosting around the bottom of the cake.
- Add decorations.
Decorations:
- Stir corn syrup into melted chocolate and stir until thick.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and let sit overnight before using.
- To make decorations roll out the chocolate and shape it into desired designs.