The Chocolate Cake to Top All Chocolate Cakes

If you are the kind of person who believes there is no such thing as too much chocolate, Chocolate Blackout Cake has got your number. Three sinfully fudgy Devil’s Food Cakes are layered with rich Chocolate Pastry Cream and then covered with a thick layer of Chocolate Ganache.

Hey there chocolate lover. This cake is total seduction.

The Chocolatiest Chocolate Cake

Rumor has it that Chocolate Blackout Cake originated in a Brooklyn bakery called Ebinger’s, who named the cake after the blackout drills of WWII. The internet tells me that even though Ebinger’s never released the recipe, we know that it was a dark chocolate layer cake filled with chocolate pudding, covered in chocolate ganache which was then coated with cake crumbs.

In other words, it’s chocolate, with more chocolate, covered in chocolate, and then more chocolate.

Be still my beating heart.

How to make the the BEST chocolate blackout cake.

#1. Start with the Best Chocolate Cake.

This being a cake for true chocolate lovers, we’re going to start with the richest, fudgiest, most delicious chocolate cake I know how to bake – Devil’s Food. This Devil’s Food Cake recipe creates three dark chocolate cake layers that are so rich and fudgy it’s practically obscene.

We’re not messing around here people.

#2. Layer your cake with rich chocolate pastry cream.

Pastry cream is the creamiest, most deliciously decadent pudding in the world. So of course, we’re going to use it.

For this cake, I started with my absolute favorite pastry cream and then simply added melted chocolate. And then I made some more because we kept eating the first batch straight from the bowl. And by we, I mean me.

#3. Cover the cake with a ridiculous amount of chocolate ganache.

Chocolate ganache is one of those things that knows what it’s about. It’s rich and decadent and not trying to be anything but. Chocolate ganache is not something you dress up or improve with additional ingredients. It’s made from two ingredients: chocolate and cream. And there’s no such thing as improving something made with chocolate and cream.

More Devil’s Food Cake Recipes:

Used in this recipe:

If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, or take a picture and tag it #ofbatteranddough on Instagram.

Happy baking!

Chocolate Blackout Cake

Author: Rebecca Blackwell
Total Time: 2 hours
Yield: 16 slices

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Three 8-inch layers Devil’s Food Cake (*see note)
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1½ tsp unflavored gelatin
3 tsp cold water
2 cups whole milk
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ tsp salt
6 large egg yolks
4 tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
24 ounces heavy whipping cream, divided (3 cups)
20 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces

Instructions

Make the Chocolate Pastry Cream:

Put the 5 ounces of bittersweet chocolate into a medium size bowl and set on the counter near your stovetop.
In a small dish, stir the gelatin and water together to combine. There should be just enough water to moisten the gelatin, creating a thick paste. Set aside.
Add milk, sugar, salt, egg yolks and cornstarch to a 4-quart or larger heavy bottomed saucepan and whisk vigorously to combine. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly, at which point the mixture will have thickened to the point that the whisk will leave tracks as you stir. Remove from the heat and whisk vigorously for 30 seconds longer.
Pour the cream into the bowl with the chocolate, so that it covers the chocolate. Break the gelatin into small pieces and drop them into the hot pastry cream. Let stand for 3 or 4 minutes to allow the chocolate to melt.
Stir the cream until the gelatin and chocolate are completely incorporated, about 20 seconds. Whisk in vanilla. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap over the surface of the pastry cream. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days.
Using an electric mixer, whip 1/2 cup (4 ounces) heavy cream until medium peaks form. Add the cooled pastry cream and beat it into the whipped cream on medium speed until fully incorporated and smooth.

Make the Chocolate Ganache:

Put the 20 ounces of chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate into a medium size bowl.
Heat 20 ounces of cream in a saucepan or in the microwave until small bubbles start to appear around the edges. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir until the chocolate and cream are completely blended.
Put the ganache in the refrigerator, uncovered, to let it cool until it’s thick enough to spread over your cake. This should take roughly 30 minutes. Stir the ganache every once in a while, keeping an eye on its consistency. If the ganache gets too stiff to spread, set the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water and stir just until the bottom of the ganache begins to melt. Remove from the simmering water and stir. Repeat this process as necessary to achieve the right consistency.

Assemble the Chocolate Blackout Cake:

Place one layer of Devil’s Food Cake onto a serving platter or cake plate. Spread the cake with 1/2 of the chocolate pastry cream, spreading the cream to within a half inch of the edges of the cake. Top with a second layer of Devil’s Food Cake. Spread the second layer with the remaining pastry cream and top with the third layer of cake.
Use an icing spatula to spread the chocolate ganache over the top and sides of the cake.

Notes

Pro tip! Devil’s Food Cake has a very tender crumb – a quality that makes it meltingly delicious, but can also makes stacking three layers a bit challenging. Freezing the cake layers for at least 1 hour (and up to 3 months) makes assembling the layers much easier. If your cake layers have been frozen for more than 1 hour, let the assembled cake sit out at room temperature for 3-4 hours to thaw before serving. After letting the cake thaw at room temperature, refrigerate the cake if you’re not serving it right away.

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