Seven-Layer Tuxedo Ganache Cake – alternating layers of vanilla and chocolate cake, filled with whipped ganache, iced in whipped white chocolate ganache, and topped with even more ganache. Can you handle all the chocolate in this ultra-rich dessert??
The holidays are in full swing in The Crumby Casa!
The tree is lit and the halls are decked, gifts are either already in their place or are on their way to being wrapped, and cookie baking marathon week begins in less than seven days. Not to mention all the holiday baking I’ve already done this month, including, but not limited to, this gorgeous Seven-Layer Tuxedo Ganache Cake.
You know how much I love crafting sweets in the kitchen, but I’m definitely feeling the pinch. To balance myself out a bit, Mr. Crumby and I are relaxing at Disney World today, taking in the festivities and bidding farewell to the spectacular Osborne Lights.
And I may or may not be thinking about my next slice of this cake.
There are times in my life where I wish I didn’t like sweets so much. Not very many times, but you know. A few times.
My yearly physical, for instance (That scale is rigged.) Or biannual dentist visit (No, doc I’m still not flossing regularly.)
Bikini season. That’s a good one, considering where I live.
But then, I create (and of course, have to eat) stuff like this cake, and I remember why sweets are a necessary food group for me.
Upon inspection, this vanilla-chocolate hybrid of loveliness might remind you of a cake you’d find at a nice restaurant. Whether it’s mass-produced by machine at a supplier bakery, or handmade in-house, you may never know.
Having worked in a bakery for over 15 years now, I’ve gotten used to all the patience-trying difficulties that come and in hand with cake making. One of which, and the most annoying for me, is slicing multiple perfect layers out of a cake.
Plenty of practice and a few Pinterest tips have made me pretty good at getting it right by hand, with no more than a sharp knife; but there’s now a tool on the market that I would have killed to have during my training years, and I would recommend to any avid cake baker.
The Frieling Layer Cake Slicing Kit truly takes the work out of creating a perfectly layered cake.
It’s a simple design – a ring that fits around your cake (8″ – 11″), with slits in it, large enough to accommodate the sharp serrated knife it comes with, and safe enough to keep you from cutting yourself.
It can slice up to 8 layers with this kit, but you don’t have to cut through every slit – it even makes a 2 layer cake simple. The cake lifter is the really miracle worker, here. Just slide it right between each layer, lift, and slide it on top of your filled layers.
If you’re feeling ambitious, have a bit of patience left over after the kids are off to school, and are really hungry for a rich, luscious, downright beautiful cake, this is what you can end up with.
And since Christmas is literally on our doorstep, if you’re still looking for a great gift for a loved one, Frieling offers plenty of wonderful, high-quality products for every aspect of your kitchen life. They have many more practical gadgets, just like this cake slicer, that would make wonderful additions to any home. And everything is so elegant, it’s a line worth splurging on.
Oh, cake. Let’s talk about the fact that this cake is made with not one, not two, but three types of ganache.
Dead.
I love me some chocolate. Don’t ever let me forget that.
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Never, ever forget.
Seven-Layer Tuxedo Ganache Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ½ cup buttermilk room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable or coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup hot coffee
Vanilla Cake
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- Pinch of baking soda
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cup milk room temperature
Chocolate Ganache
- 16 ounces dark chocolate chopped
- 1 ¾ cups heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup dark rum optional
White Chocolate Ganache
- 12 ounces white chocolate chopped
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Grease two 8-inch round cake pans, and place parchment paper circles in the bottoms. Set aside. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Whisk flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
- Add egg, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla to flour mixture and mix well. Next, add hot coffee, stirring until batter is smooth.
- Pour into cake pan. Bake for 34-36 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove cake from oven and allow to cool 10 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.
Vanilla Cake
- Raise oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
- Combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream butter and sugar together for 2-3 minutes at medium speed, until fluffy. Scrape sides of bowl.
- Add the eggs and vanilla, mixing for another minute.
- Alternate adding flour mixture and milk in 5 additions, beginning and ending with flour, beating each addition on medium speed until incorporated and scraping down the bowl as needed. Batter will be thick.
- Pour into cake pan. Bake for 30-34 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove cake from oven and allow to cool 10 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.
Chocolate Ganache
- Place chopped chocolate in a large glass bowl. Heat cream over stove top until barely simmering, or in microwave for about 2 minutes. Pour cream over chocolate and allow to sit for 3-5 minutes, then whisk gently until combined and glossy. Add vanilla and rum and stir until combined.
- Pour ¾ cup of the ganache into a separate bowl, and allow to sit at room temperature.
- Place the remaining ganache in the refrigerator 2-3 hours.
- When ganache is thickened but still pourable, remove from fridge and whip with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, less than 1 minute.
White Chocolate Ganache
- Repeat steps for Chocolate Ganache, this time refrigerating all of the white chocolate ganache for 2-3 hours.
- When ganache is thickened but still pourable, remove from fridge and whip with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, less than 1 minute.
Assembly
- Using the Frieling Cake Slicing Kit, or a sharp serrated knife, create 3-4 layers of each of your baked cakes (or your desired amount of layers – I only got 3 layers out of the vanilla.)
- On a serving plate or cake board, Set your first layer of chocolate cake down. Gently spread a thin layer of whipped chocolate ganache on top, then top with a layer of vanilla cake. Repeat until you reach the last layer.
- Ice the cake with the whipped white chocolate ganache, then smooth out. Pour room temperature ganache over top of cake, and allow to drip down the sides. Place uncovered in refrigerator for 15 minutes.
- When ganache is set, using the remaining whipped white ganache, pipe on a bottom border and 10 dollops on top, then arrange Oreos or another type of cookie between each dollop.
- Refrigerate under a cover until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Nutrition
What is your biggest baking fear?
Medeja says
With different types of ganache and this lovely decoration this cake looks irresistible!
Doug says
I didn’t even know they made cake slicing devices – it’s brilliant! That really helps since my fine motor skills aren’t at the level that they need to be to cut 7 even layers.
Fiberscope.Net says
Nice mix of ganache and Oreos. The photos are saliva-provoking 🙂
2pots2cook says
Inviting idea; pinned for holidays !