Chocolate Cake with Malted Ganache and Toasted Marshmallow Frosting

Last Friday I attended a Chocolate and Chili Cook Off for a church activity. Every one brought either a chocolate dish, a chili dish, or one of each. It was so much fun tasting all the different delicious chocolate dishes. There were brownies, cookies, fudge, truffles, and many other items of deliciousness. The snickers fudge (which was amazing and I will be making sometime in the future) beat me out, but this cake was very visually impressive (and tasty, too).

In a couple days, I will post my chili recipe, too!

I found this recipe on Martha Stewart’s website. I used the cake and ganache from this recipe and the marshmallow frosting from this recipe. You could use any favorite chocolate cake recipe, though. I am definitely making this cake again, but I might use a this cake batter in the future.

Ingredients:

Cake:

• nonstick cooking spray
• 1 C. unsalted butter, room temp
• 2 1/3 C. + 3 TBSP. superfine sugar
• 1 1/4 C. extra dark cocoa powder, sifted
• 2 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 1/3 C. + 4 tsp. all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 C. +4 tsp. cake flour (not self-rising)
• 1 TBSP + 1/4 tsp. coarse salt ( or 2 1/4 tsp. table salt)
• 2 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 C. boiling water
• 1/2 C. canola oil

Malted Chocolate Ganache:

• 1 C. heavy cream
• 3/4 C. malted milk powder
• 1 C. chopped milk chocolate
• 1 1/2 C. chopped dark chocolate

Marshmallow Frosting:

• 8 large egg whites
• 2 C. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
• 2 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

FOR THE CAKE:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray two 9 inch round cake pans with cooking spray. Line bottom of each pan with a circle on parchment paper or tin foil and spray again. Set aside while you make the batter

2. In an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light an fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the sifted cocoa powder and beat until combined with butter. Scrap down sides when needed.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and yolk. Add the eggs slowly to batter and slowly blend until smooth.

4. In another large bowl, sift together both flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture on low speed until combined.

5. Mix together the boiling water and oil. Slowly add the water/oil to the batter on low speed. Mix until everything is all combined, scraping down the side.

6. Divide mixture between the two pans. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

7. Let the cakes cool completely. This is SOOOO important! Put them in the fridge and let them actually get cold. I didn’t have the time to let them cool enough, so I didn’t make as many layers as I would have liked. This meant less ganache layers. The key to making a layer cake is letting it cool completely!

8. Unmold cakes and peel off the parchment paper or tin foil. Using a serrated knife, trim tops of the cakes to make the level. Then cut each cake in half horizontally.

9. Place bottom half of one of the cakes inside a 9 inch spring form pan, bottom down. Evenly spread with ganache. Top with the other half of the cake and add another layer of ganache. Place the top half of the other cake on next and add another layer of ganache. Top with the remaining bottom half, bottom up. Unmold the cake from the spring form on a cake stand or lazy susan.

10. Spread the frosting all over the cake. It doesn’t have to be perfect. In fact, swirl it around so there are little peaks.

11. Using a blow torch, lightly toast the frosting. If you don’t have a blow torch, but it in the over on broil, but watch it very very closely!!!

FOR THE GANACHE:

1. In a small saucepan whisk together the cream and malted milk powder. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

2. Place both chocolates in a heatproof bowl. Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and let it sit until the chocolate melts. Blend until smooth. Or just stir around until smooth.

3. Let stand for at least six hours before using. (I actually cheated and just let it sit for 30 minutes and it was fine)

FOR THE FROSTING:

1. Place egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Heat the egg whites in the microwave for about 30 seconds at a time, whisking in between, until they are warm to the touch. Or you can set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water whisking while the sugar dissolves, until it is warm to the touch.

2. Transfer bowl to electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat starting on low speed. Gradually increasing to high speed. Beat until stiff, glossy peaks form. This should take about 5 to 7 minutes. Add vanilla beat until combines. Frost immediately.

Recipe adapted from ABC Kitchen pastry chef Cindy Bearman featured on Martha Stewart.com