Easy Chocolate Ganache Cake
This rich chocolate ganache cake is everything a chocolate lover dreams of—moist, tender layers covered in glossy, melt-in-your-mouth ganache. Easy enough for beginners but indulgent enough to impress at any celebration.
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup strong black coffee cooled
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 12 oz dark chocolate chopped
- 1¼ cups heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease two 9-inch round pans with butter and cocoa powder. Line bottoms with parchment.
- In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- In another bowl, whisk eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil, and vanilla until smooth.
- Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir just until combined. Batter will be thin.
- Divide between pans and bake 28–32 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.
- Cool in pans 10 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
- For ganache, heat cream until just simmering, then pour over chopped chocolate. Let sit 2 minutes.
- Stir gently until smooth, then mix in butter and salt.
- Spread ganache over cooled cakes and stack layers. Chill briefly before slicing.
Notes
- Substitute buttermilk with 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice if needed.
- For dairy-free version, use coconut cream for ganache and plant-based milk for the cake.
- Store covered at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerate up to 5 days.
- Freezes well up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.