This glorious whipped chocolate ganache cake is divine and is perfect for any celebration or special occasion! Layers of moist sour cream chocolate cake are filled and topped with a light as air, 2-ingredient whipped chocolate ganache frosting. Given the mousse-like consistency of the whipped chocolate ganache frosting, each bite of this dreamy chocolate cake is decadent and delicious!
How to Make Sour Cream Chocolate Cake Recipe
This sour cream chocolate cake recipe is moist and packed with rich chocolate flavor. Here is what you will need to make cake:
Key Ingredients
- Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- Unsweetened Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Eggs
- Sour Cream (May Substitute with Yogurt)
- Strong Brewed Coffee or Espresso
- Neutral Flavored Oil i.e. Vegetable Oil
- Vanilla Extract
Tips for Making Sour Cream Chocolate Cake
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients – given the thinner consistency of chocolate cake batter in general, using room temperature ingredients will make it easier to mix ingredients into a smooth batter. Additionally, it reduces the risk of over mixing or ending up with clumps of unmixed ingredients in batter.
- Coffee is Essential – although chocolate cake can be made with other liquids like water or milk, I highly recommend using coffee. Essentially, coffee helps to enhance the natural flavor of chocolate in desserts. You do not actually taste the coffee; just amazing chocolate flavor!
- Use Good Quality Cocoa Powder – since the only form of chocolate in this cake recipe is cocoa powder, it is important to use good quality cocoa powder for the best chocolate flavor in cake. I always use Dutch-processed cocoa powder in my recipes because I find that it results in bakes with a more dark and rich chocolate brown color. My preferred cocoa powder options are Hersey Special Dark Cocoa Powder or Ghirardelli cocoa powder.
- Do not Overmix Batter – this may seem obvious but with chocolate cakes it is so easy to overmix the batter due to its thinner consistency. I recommend mixing ingredients just to the point where you have a smooth lump-free batter. Over mixing cake batter will not only result in a less moist cake (due to the over development of gluten in the flour) but will create bubbles in batter resulting in air pockets in final bake.
Whipped Chocolate Ganache Frosting
Why You Will Love This Frosting?
- Only requires 2 Ingredients (chocolate and heavy whipping cream)
- So easy to make
- Its light, airy mousse-like consistency is absolutely delicious
- It spreads and pipes beautifully on desserts while holding its shape
To Make Whipped Chocolate Ganache Frosting
Add finely chopped chocolate into a large mixing bowl and pour heated heavy whipping cream over chocolate. Allow mixture to sit untouch for 1 minute before whisking in the heavy cream into the melted chocolate. Once fully mixed, allow ganache to rest at room temperature until it reaches a thicken consistency (To fasten thickening process, chocolate ganache may be refrigerated). At this point, ganache can be whipped into an airy almost mousse-like frosting!
How to Make Whipped Chocolate Ganache Cake (Assembly)
- Level domed tops of chocolate cake with a serrated knife or cake leveler.
- Spread a small amount of frosting into the center of serving platter of choice.
- Position first chocolate cake layer into the center of serving platter over smear of frosting
- Spoon 1/3 of the frosting into the center of cake and use an offset spatula to spread frosting into an even layer.
- Repeat this process with the second cake layer before adding the final cake layer top side down.
- Spoon remaining frosting into the center of the final cake layer and use an offset spatula to spread frosting into an even layer. For a more rustic look, use a spoon to create a swoop design in frosting.
- Serve cake as is or top with fresh berries of choice!
How to Store Chocolate Cake with Whipped Chocolate Ganache Frosting
- Unfrosted chocolate cakes individually double wrapped in plastic wrap will last up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator and 1-3 months in the freezer. When ready to use frozen chocolate cakes, simply thaw out in the refrigerator overnight to restore soft texture.
- Whipped chocolate ganache frosting stored in an airtight container will last 3-4 days in the fridge. When ready to use, allow to rest at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before re-whipping to restore light and fluffy consistency.
- Sliced assembled whipped chocolate ganache cake stored in an airtight container will last up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator and 1-2 months in the freezer. When ready to eat, frozen whipped chocolate ganache cake slices may be thawed overnight in the refrigerator to restore soft texture.
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If you make this recipe, please make sure to let me know by tagging me @nourishedendeavors on Instagram or by leaving a comment in the comment section down below so I can find out how this recipe turned out for you! If you have any questions, ask away! I would love to answer your questions! Happy baking!
PrintWhipped Chocolate Ganache Cake
This glorious whipped chocolate ganache cake is divine and is the perfect for any celebration! Layers of moist sour cream chocolate cake are filled and topped with a light as air, 2-ingredient whipped chocolate ganache frosting. Given the mousse-like consistency of the whipped chocolate ganache frosting, each bite of this dreamy chocolate cake is decadently delicious!
Ingredients
Sour Cream Chocolate Cake
- 2 Cups (250 g) Unbleached All-Purpose Flour, Spooned and Leveled
- 1/2 Cup (40 g) Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, Spooned and Leveled
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 2 Large Eggs, Room Temperature
- 1 1/3 Cups (268 g) Granulated Sugar
- 1 Cup (226 g) Whole Milk Sour Cream, Room Temperature
- 1 Cup (240 ml) Strong Brewed Coffee, Room Temperature
- 1/2 Cup (120 ml) Neutral Flavored Oil i.e. Grapeseed/Vegetable Oil
- 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Whipped Chocolate Ganache
- 12 Ounces (340 g) Dark Chocolate, Finely Chopped
- 1 1/2 Cups (360 ml) Heavy Whipping Cream
Assembly
- Fresh Strawberries or Berries of Choice, Optional
Instructions
Sour Cream Chocolate Cake
- Preheat oven to 350F(175C). Grease (3) 6” baking pans and line the base of each pan with 6” parchment paper circle cutouts.
- Using a fine mesh sieve, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Alternatively, the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt can be added to a large mixing bowl and whisked to combine.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or with a hand-held electric mixer and large mixing bowl, add the oil and sugar. Mix ingredients at medium speed to combine, about 30-60 seconds. Next, mix in the sour cream into oil-sugar mixture.
- Beat the eggs into wet batter one at a time allowing the initial egg to be fully incorporated into batter before mixing in the next egg. Next, mix in the vanilla extract into wet batter.
- Reduce mixer speed to low. In an alternating fashion, starting and ending with the flour mixture, mix half of the flour mixture into wet batter, followed by all of the coffee and ending with the remaining flour mixture.
- With a flexible spatula, scrape the sides and base of the mixing bowl.
- Increase mixer speed to medium and mix chocolate cake batter for an additional minute.
- Equally divide batter into prepared baking pans and bake for 28-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cakes comes out clean.
- Cool chocolate cakes in pans for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely to room temperature.
Whipped Chocolate Ganache Frosting
- In a large bowl mixing, add the finely chopped chocolate.
- Pour cream into a small saucepan and heat up under medium high heat until it starts to simmer. The goal here is to heat the cream to the point that it is hot but has not come to a full boil. Alternatively, cream may be heated in the microwave on high until hot but not boiled.
- Pour heated cream over chocolate and allow mixture to sit untouched for 1 minute.
- Whisk cream into melted chocolate in a circular motion starting in the center and moving outward until all of the cream has been mixed into the chocolate.
- Rest chocolate ganache at room temperature whisking every 15-20 minutes until it has taken on a firm and thicken consistency. This can take anywhere from 1-3 hours. To fasten this process, chocolate ganache may be refrigerated until firm, about 1 hour.
- Using a hand-held mixer, whip chocolate ganache on medium high speed until it has doubled in size and looks light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Ganache will also have a lighter chocolate color. (Ganache may be transferred into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attached and whipped until it appears light and fluffy.)
Assembly
- Using a serrated knife or cake leveler, cut off the domed tops of cooled chocolate cakes.
- With an offset spatula, spread a small amount (about 1 teaspoon) of the frosting in the center of a serving platter of choice.
- Place the first layer of chocolate cake, top side up, in the center of the serving platter.
- Spoon a 1/3 of the frosting into the center of the cake and spread into an even layer with an offset spatula.
- Repeat this process with the second layer of chocolate cake.
- Place the final layer of chocolate cake, top side down, over frosting.
- Spoon remaining frosting over the top of the cake and spread out into an even layer. For a more rustic finish, use the back of a spoon to create a swoop effect in frosting.
- Serve cake as is or top with fresh berries of choice.
Notes
- Sliced assembled whipped chocolate ganache cake stored in an airtight container will last up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator and 1-2 months in the freezer. When ready to eat, frozen whipped chocolate ganache cake slices may be thawed overnight in the refrigerator to restore soft texture.
- May use chocolate chips to make whipped chocolate ganache frosting. Just make sure to use good quality chocolate chips for the best chocolate flavor.
- Whipped chocolate ganache cake may be made as a 2 layer 8 or 9 inch cake in the absence of 6 inch baking pans.
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Sona
Do you recommend adding boiling water ? Or can the coffee be hot ?
nourished endeavors
Hi Sona,
Great question! Yes, you can use hot coffee in recipe if you would prefer. I have not personally tested recipe using boiling water but hot coffee should be fine. Hope this helps!