Video
Chocolate Truffle Cake
My Triple Chocolate Truffle Cake is for pure chocoholics with 3 layers of delicious chocolate heaven. The base is a moist chocolate cake topped with a thick layer of whipped chocolate truffle that has a mousse-like texture and it's all covered in silky smooth dark chocolate ganache. Guess what? It's so easy to make and will impress anyone you serve it to!
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake batter:
- 1 cup (142g) all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (28g) cocoa powder (I prefer this Dutch cocoa or this one)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ cup plus 2 tbsp (175g) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup (80ml) sunflower oil
- 2 large eggs well beaten
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup (80ml) full fat sour cream
- ½ cup (120ml) hot water (just off the boil for a few minutes)
Whipped Chocolate Truffle:
- 7 oz (200g) dark chocolate (55-60% cocoa solids), coarsely chopped
- 1 ½ cups (355ml) 35% heavy whipping cream, divided
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) corn syrup or honey
- 1 tablespoon (6g) cocoa powder (I prefer this one)
Chocolate glaze:
- 4 oz (113g) semisweet dark chocolate, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp (95ml) 35% heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) light corn syrup or honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the base of a 9-inch round springform pan with a round of parchment paper. Lightly grease the sides with butter.
- Make the cake. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda into a medium bowl. Add sugar and salt, then whisk to blend evenly. Add oil, beaten eggs, sour cream and vanilla and begin to whisk gently. It will be thick. Add the hot water and whisk until the batter is smooth.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth it out. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. The cake will dome and may crack slightly at the top – that’s ok. We want it to dome because it gives us more grip when we slice and level off the cake to make a perfectly flat and even layer. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely in the pan.
- Once cool, remove the cake from the pan and peel off the parchment. Then trim the top of the cake to level it out and make it flat with a long sharp serrated knife. Place the cake back into the springform pan. Optional: cut a 4-inch wide strip of parchment the length equal to the perimeter of the pan and wrap it around the inside of the pan so it is flush with the sides. It should stand up about an inch above the rim of the pan. This will make it easier to release the sides of the pan once you add the truffle topping.
- NOTE: this part of lining the sides with parchment is optional if you want to go the extra mile to get smooth sides. When I’m being lazy, I entirely skip that part. Instead, I take a small offset spatula or palette knife, run it under boiling water, wipe it dry and gently run it around the edges of the cake to release it, then I smooth out the sides with a hot dry knife.
- Make the truffle layer. Place chopped chocolate in a large bowl. Add ½ cup (118ml) of cream and honey to a 1-quart stainless steel saucepan over medium heat until simmering, then immediately pour it over the chopped chocolate. You can also heat it in the microwave. Cover and let stand for 2 minutes, then whisk with a gently stirring motion until smooth and glossy. If there are still some bits of unmelted chocolate, place it in the microwave on medium power for 20-30 seconds to help melt them. Let cool until no longer warm, but not set.
- Combine the remaining 1 cup (237ml) of cream with cocoa powder in a large bowl and whip to soft peaks using an electric hand mixer or by hand with a whisk. Fold one-third of this cream into the cooled ganache until evenly combined. Add the remaining cream and fold it in gently until no streaks remain.
- Chill the cake. Spoon the truffle filling over the cooled, leveled cake in the pan. Spread it out evenly and use a small offset spatula to smooth out the surface. Place it in the fridge for 2 hours to set.
- Make the glaze. Place chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat cream and honey in a small saucepan over medium heat or in the microwave until just simmering, then pour it over the chocolate. Whisk gently until smooth and glossy. Let it cool for about 15 minutes so it isn’t steaming and no longer hot, but just slightly warm so it is still fluid. Pour it over the chilled cake and quickly smooth it out or tilt the cake around to help spread out the glaze evenly. Chill until set and then serve chilled or at room temperature for a softer texture.
- NOTE: when cold, the truffle topping will be firm like whipped chocolate ganache. I like to leave it out at room temperature for 2 hours before serving to soften it, but either way is absolutely delicious. This cake needs to be stored refrigerated.
