I am a firm believer that there is a chocolate cake for every occasion. The best occasion for this kind of recipe is if you want a chocolate cake that tastes like baked fudge. Now I have been mentioning the Ms. Trunchbull Chocolate cake a bunch of times on this blog, but this is very, very close to what I was hoping for. Hilariously enough, the secret to making this recipe was right under my nose the whole time. It happened when I played around with my cake ratios, adding more sugar and oil, and less flour than I normally would, and the end result was almost like a brownie. The cake was dense, rich, gooey, and ironically enough, did not contain any actual chocolate, but rather, cocoa powder. I used a black cacao powder because I just love the look of the final cake, being rich and inviting with that intense chocolate flavor. Black cacao is an alkalized or Dutch-processed cocoa, resulting in an almost fruitier chocolate experience – fun fact, Oreos use black cacao to achieve their iconic color. I learned about black cacao while I did R&D at Milkbar, because it was in our pantry – we used it in the chocolate soft serve, and after tasting and baking with it, I could see why. It was delicious in the chocolate-passionfruit cookies I made then, and it is just as delicious in this decadence layer cake that I made now. With the other components, we have a chocolate mousse that is light as air, an Ovaltine soak, crunchy chocolate pearls, and a chocolate ganache coating. If you love chocolate, this cake is for you. If you hate chocolate, then turn away now, this recipe will be your nightmare.

For this cake, the chocolate batter is made in a similar style to that of a Devil’s food cake. Specifically the Devil’s food cake that Shari made on my original Masterchef season. The method for the cake batter was kind of unorthodox, made by mixing together the flour with oil and fat first, then adding to that the wet ingredients. She found by doing that, the final cake was airier. I wanted this cake to be a little aerated, since the soak going into it will then result in a richer-flavored cake. So I did that for my recipe. I also used a little instant coffee to bump up that chocolate flavor. The chocolate mousse is almost buttery, being made by folding whipped cream through a salted chocolate ganache. I used Ovaltine in my soak, since Ovaltine soaked chocolate cakes are really delicious, and the malt in the Ovaltine brings in a nostalgic flavor in the cake itself. With the ganache, I whipped some of it, and used that to form a crumb coat to seal the cake layers together. Then after freezing that cake solid, I heated up the rest of the chocolate ganache, and poured that over the cake, spreading it to make an almost glaze-like chocolate ganache frosting with this rich, fudgy texture, reminiscent of the cake itself. This cake is made for a true chocolate cake lover, and if that description fits you, then this recipe is 100% made for people like us!

For the cake batter:
6oz canola oil
2 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
a pinch of salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup black cacao powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup milk
2 tbsp vinegar
1/2 tsp instant coffee powder

In a bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Sift into that the flour, cacao powder, baking soda, and baking powder, and fold everything together until a crumbly mixture forms. In another container, mix together the milk, vinegar, and coffee powder. Whisk that into the crumbly flour-oil mixture to form your batter – this should be lump-free. Pour the cake batter onto a lined quarter sheet tray and bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes. Allow the cake to fully cool before cutting out 3 6-inch rounds, using scraps as necessary.

For the chocolate mousse:
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup milk
a pinch of salt
1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks

In a pot on medium heat, melt down the chocolate, milk and salt, stirring constantly until everything is fully smooth and combined. Allow the chocolate to cool down to room temperature before folding in the cream to form your mousse.

For the soak:
1 tbsp Ovaltine powder
1 cup milk
a pinch of salt

Mix ingredients together to form your soak.

For initial assembly:
Crunchy chocolate pearls(can omit)

Place a 6-inch ring mold onto a parchment or silpat lined sheet tray. Line the ring mold with an acetate collar. Start with one of the cake rounds, placing that down into the cake collar. Add to that a third of the soak. Spread over that half of the mousse. Sprinkle over that 2oz of the crunchy chocolate pearls. Repeat the steps with the next layer. For the final layer, place down the third layer and the remaining soak. Freeze the cake solid, at least 4 hours in the freezer, before unmolding.

For the chocolate ganache:
1 1/2 cups dark chocolate
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 tbsp unsalted butter
a pinch of salt

In a pot, melt everything together until fully combined and smooth. Transfer the ganache to the refrigerator and allow it to firm up, chilling it down for at least 20 minutes. Whip the 1/4 of the ganache until it is soft and spreadable. Keep the rest chilled for final glazing.

For final assembly:
Gold leaf
Start by spread the whipped ganache around the cake to form your crumb coat. Freeze the cake again for another 20 minutes – you want the cake to get as cold as possible. With the remaining ganache, melt that down either in the microwave, heating it in 1 minute intervals until it is a pourable consistency, or over a double boiler in a heatproof bowl. Pour the still-warm ganache over the frozen solid cake, spreading it so that it coats the cake. Garnish the top with the gold leaf to finish. Transfer the cake to the refrigerator or freezer until the ganache is firmed before placing on your desired serving surface.