• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Baking Basics
  • The Bake Club
  • About
  • Products I Love

Of Batter and Dough logo

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Baking Basics
  • The Bake Club
  • About
  • Products I Love
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » All Cake Recipes

    Published: Feb 7, 2019 · Modified: Dec 6, 2021 by Rebecca Blackwell · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Chocolate Blackout Cake

    584 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    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.

    A three-layer Devil's Food Chocolate Blackout cake frosted with chocolate ganache.

    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.

    Serving a slice of Devil's Food Chocolate Blackout Cake

    The inside of a three layer devil's food chocolate blackout cake.

    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.

    Stacking the layers for three-layer chocolate blackout cake.

    #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.

    Covering three layers of Devil's Food cake with chocolate ganache to make Chocolate Blackout Cake.

    A slice of three-layer chocolate blackout cake.

    Taking a bite of three layer devil's food chocolate blackout cake.

    More Devil's Food Cake Recipes:

    Three Devil's Food Cakes: Black Forest cake, Devil's Food Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream, and German Chocolate Cake.

    • Black Forest Cake
    • Devil's Food Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream
    • German Chocolate Cake

    Used in this recipe:

    KitchenAid Standing Mixer and Icing Spatula

    • KitchenAid Standing Mixer
    • Offset Icing Spatula

    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!

    Print
    clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
    Serving a slice of Blackout Chocolate Cake.

    Chocolate Blackout Cake


    • Author: Rebecca Blackwell
    • Total Time: 2 hours
    • Yield: 16 slices
    Print Recipe
    Pin 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:

    1. Put the 5 ounces of bittersweet chocolate into a medium size bowl and set on the counter near your stovetop.
    2. 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.
    3. 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.
    4. 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.
    5. 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.
    6. Using an electric mixer, whip ½ 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:

    1. Put the 20 ounces of chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate into a medium size bowl.
    2. 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.
    3. 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:

    1. Place one layer of Devil's Food Cake onto a serving platter or cake plate. Spread the cake with ½ 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.
    2. 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.

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @ofbatteranddough on Instagram and hashtag it #ofbatteranddough

    Chocolate Blackout Cake made with three layers of Devil's Food Cake, Chocolate Pastry Cream and Chocolate Ganache

    Chocolate Blackout Cake

    © Of Batter and Dough. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe. Some of the links above are affiliate links, which pay me a small commission for my referral at no extra cost to you! Thank you for supporting Of Batter and Dough.

    More Cake Recipes

    • Dark Chocolate Truffle Cake with Milk Chocolate Buttercream
    • French Apple Crumb Cake
    • One Layer Chocolate Almond Cake
    • White Forest Cake
    584 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Rebecca Blackwell

    Hi! I'm Rebecca, a baker, recipe developer, food photographer, and full time RV nomad.

    I’ve been baking for 25 years, both professionally and just for the sheer pleasure of it. In 2013, I launched this blog as a way to share my most tested, trusted, and much-loved recipes.

    Learn more -->

    as seen in

    Logos from publications that have featured recipes published on this website.

    Cake Recipes

    • Chocolate Loaf Cake {Fudge Brownie Cake}
    • Marble Cake ~ With Real Melted Chocolate
    • Olive Oil Cake with Lemon Mascarpone Pastry Cream
    • New York Cheesecake with Classic Shortbread Crust

    Cookie Recipes

    • Tahini Brownies
    • White Chocolate Raspberry Cookies
    • Massive Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies {Extra Gooey}
    • 50 Creative Christmas Cookie Recipes

    Breakfast and Brunch

    • Vegan Banana Chocolate Muffins with Maple Tahini Glaze
    • Blueberry Pancakes with Buttermilk and Fresh or Frozen Blueberries
    • The Ultimate Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits {All-Butter Recipe}
    • Everyday Buttermilk Pancakes

    Fruit Pies

    • German Apple Pie ~ The Easiest, Creamiest Apple Pie!
    • Fresh Peach Pie Recipe
    • Cherry Pie with Sweet, Sour, and Dried Cherries
    • Sweet Cherry Crumb Pie

    Cream Pies

    • No Bake Chocolate Pie ~ Chocolate Mousse Filling and Oreo Crust
    • Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie with Vanilla Wafer Crust
    • Coconut Cream Pie with Toasted Almond Crust
    • Chocolate Cream Pie {Made with Chocolate Pastry Cream}

    Homemade Bread

    • Homemade Flour Tortillas Made with Butter
    • Easy Pizza Dough Recipe + How To Make Homemade Pizza
    • Homemade Dinner Rolls {Soft and Buttery}
    • Simple Homemade White Bread {made with butter!}
    • Cinnamon Bread
    • Honey Wheat Bread Recipe with Oats

    Chocolate

    • How to Make Chocolate Ganache
    • Milk Chocolate Buttercream
    • Chocolate Orange Buttercream {3 Ingredients}
    • White Chocolate Ganache Buttercream

    > Of Batter and Dough Web Stories

    Footer

    Subscribe for recipe updates & other goodies

    • Recipes
    • The Bake Club
    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Of Batter and Dough

    • Privacy Policy
    • About Rebecca
    • All Recipes
    • Baking Basics
    • The Bake Club

    Recipes

    • Cake Recipes
    • Cookie Recipes
    • Breakfast Recipes
    • Pie, Tart, and Cobble Recipes
    • Bread Recipes

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    © Of Batter and Dough. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words and link back to this post as the original recipe. Some of the links above are affiliate links, which pay me a small commission for my referral at no extra cost to you! Thank you for supporting Of Batter and Dough.

    Copyright © 2023 Of Batter and Dough on the Cookd Pro Theme

    584 shares