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Chocolate Ganache Cake is a deliciously fudgy and moist chocolate cake filled and topped with a decadent yet simple chocolate ganache.
For more chocolate cake recipes, make my Chocolate Espresso Cake, Matilda Chocolate Cake recipe or my Hot Fudge Chocolate Pudding Cake next!
Nothing is better than a homemade chocolate cake with ganache. It’s fudgy, incredibly moist, and has intense chocolate flavor that you just can’t get from boxed cake mix.
This decadent cake is shockingly easy to make and the end result is out of this world. As soon as you sink your fork into this tender cake, you’ll understand why this is the best chocolate cake you’ll ever make.
A lot of chocolate ganache recipes use a double boiler above a medium saucepan to make the ganache, however, for this recipe, we’re keeping it quick and easy and making the ganache in the microwave. Whisk the melted chocolate and hot cream together to make the easiest yet silkiest ganache ever. I use this method for my cosmic brownies and matcha cheesecake and it’s never let me down!
Table of Contents
I love this recipe because it can be made 2-3 days in advance which makes this the perfect dessert for holiday meals. Honestly, christmas and thanksgiving aren’t complete without it, I always make this recipe for the chocolate lovers in my family. They go nuts!
Ingredients
Chocolate Ganache
- Chocolate chips: I used semi-sweet but you can use dark chocolate or milk chocolate if you prefer. Keep in mind, you’ll want to use a good chocolate that’s high-quality. Use leftovers and make my chocolate cake with chocolate mousse next!
- Heavy cream: Half and half or whole milk won’t cut it. For this chocolate ganache recipe, you need a thick and creamy consistency.
- Salted butter: This gives the ganache that glossy shine. Melt the butter before adding it.
Chocolate Cake
- All Purpose Flour: Measure your flour correctly! The flour scooped out of a bag is compressed. Fluff up the flour and spoon it into the measuring cup or use a kitchen scale to measure the flour for a more accurate measurement.
- Sugar: I used granulated sugar and brown sugar for a nice mix of sweetness, moisture, and flavor.
- Espresso powder and hot coffee: Including coffee intensifies the chocolate flavor of the cocoa powder. You can also use instant coffee if that’s what you have on hand!
- Vegetable Oil: This moistens the cake and gives it a fudgy and rich texture.
- Cocoa powder: This provides the chocolate flavor. Use dutch-process cocoa powder for the best results.
- Milk Powder is my secret ingredient in cake recipes. It adds structure, flavor, and richness – exactly what you want in a chocolate!
- Dairy: Both sour cream and buttermilk contain the fat needed to make this chocolate cake extra moist.
Substitutions
- If you don’t have any hot coffee, you can use hot water instead. Using a hot liquid helps bring out the chocolate flavor.
- You can use greek yogurt instead of sour cream.
- No buttermilk? Make your own homemade buttermilk with just whole milk and lemon juice or vinegar.
- To make this cake dairy free – use your favorite non-dairy alternatives in the exact measurements listed in the recipe card. Also, omit the milk powder.
How to Make Chocolate Ganache Cake
Step 1: Make the chocolate ganache by heating the chocolate chips and heavy cream together until smooth, then whisk in melted butter and corn syrup. Cover and set aside to thicken while you prepare the cake layers.
Step 2: Preheat the oven to 325°F and prepare three 8-inch cake pans with nonstick baking spray or butter and flour to prevent sticking. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl, including flour, milk powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Step 3: Melt the chocolate chips and butter together until smooth, then whisk in the oil and sugars for 2 minutes to help dissolve the sugar and cool the mixture slightly before adding the eggs. Add the eggs, vanilla, buttermilk, sour cream, and cocoa powder, whisking until smooth.
Step 4: Fold in the dry ingredients, then pour in the hot coffee and mix until fully combined. Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans and bake for 30–35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Step 5: Wrap each cake with plastic wrap and allow them to cool completely – this traps in the steam, keeping the cakes super moist. Once cooled, layer and frost with the chocolate ganache.
Pro Baking Tip
- The longer ganache sits, the thicker it becomes which makes it easier to spread onto the cake. However, if the ganache becomes too stiff, warm ganache in the microwave in 15 second increments until the texture loosens up. 1-3 times should suffice.
Recipe FAQs
Chocolate ganache is made with chocolate and heavy cream, giving it a rich, silky texture and deep chocolate flavor. Chocolate frosting is usually made with butter, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder, creating a lighter, fluffier, and sweeter texture. Ganache sets firmer, while frosting stays soft and creamy for spreading and piping.
No, chocolate ganache cake is best served and stored at room temperature for up to 5 days.
You can make this rich chocolate cake 2-3 days in advance. Once the cakes have cooled, wrap them tightly with saran wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days before assembling. You can also store the already made cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Allow it to come to room temperature before serving.
More Chocolate Dessert Recipes
- Cosmic Brownies
- Chocolate Snack Cake
- Triple Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Mousse
- Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting
- Chocolate Cupcakes with Espresso Buttercream
- Chocolate Sour Cream Pound Cake
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Let’s stay connected on social media and continue to cook together! Also, if you decide to make this recipe, please leave a star rating on the recipe card and leave a comment below! Tag @BritneyBreaksBread on Instagram and hashtag #britneybreaksbread so I can see your creations! I hope that you love this recipe as much as we do!
Chocolate Ganache Cake
Equipment
- Plastic Wrap
Ingredients
Chocolate Ganache
- 3 cups (510 g) Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
- 1 3/4 cup (420 g) Heavy cream
- 8 tbsp (113 g) Salted butter, (melted)
- 3 tbsp (45 g) Corn Syrup, (optional)
Cake
- 1 cup (170 g) Semi-Sweet Chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup (113 g) Salted Butter
- 1 cup (224 g) Vegetable Oil
- 3/4 cup (g) Sugar
- 1 cup (220 g) Brown Sugar
- 3 large (150 g) Eggs, (room temperature)
- 1 tbsp (15 g) Vanilla Extract
- 2/3 cup (56 g) Dutch Process Cocoa Powder, (sift if lumpy)
- 2 2/3 cup (333 g) All Purpose Flour
- 2 tbsp (12 g) Milk Powder, (optional)
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/2 cup (120 g) Buttermilk
- 1/2 cup (120 g) Sour Cream
- 3/4 cup (180 g) Coffee, (hot)
Instructions
- Make the chocolate ganache. Add heavy cream to a large microwave safe bowl. Heat in the microwave for 60-90 seconds, until hot. Add chocolate chips and let them sit in the warm cream for 2 minutes, then mix together. If the chocolate isn't fully melted, microwave again for 15 seconds. Mix together until smooth, then add the melted butter and corn syrup, continuously whisking. Once all butter is incorporated, cover with plastic wrap and set aside to firm up. 3 cups Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips 1 3/4 cup Heavy cream 8 tbsp Salted butter 3 tbsp Corn Syrup
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray 3 8-inch cake pans with nonstick baking spray or grease with butter and dust with flour. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together all purpose flour, milk powder, baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt. 2 2/3 cup All Purpose Flour 2 tbsp Milk Powder 1 tsp Baking Soda 1 tsp Baking Powder 1 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
- In a large microwave safe bowl, combine semi-sweet chocolate chips and butter. Microwave for 25 seconds, stir together and microwave for another 25 seconds. Stir together again until smooth. If the chocolate chips haven't fully melted, microwave for another 10-15 seconds. Whisk until smooth, be careful not to burn the chocolate. 1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate chips 1/2 cup Salted Butter
- Add vegetable oil, sugar, and brown sugar and whisk for a full 2 minutes, until combined, this helps the sugars begin to dissolve and cools off the mixture so that it doesn't cook the eggs when adding (next). 1 cup Vegetable Oil 3/4 cup Sugar 1 cup Brown Sugar
- Add in the eggs, vanilla extract, buttermilk, sour cream, and cocoa powder. Whisk together for another minute, until combined and smooth. 3 large Eggs 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract 1/2 cup Buttermilk 1/2 cup Sour Cream 2/3 cup Dutch Process Cocoa Powder
- Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix until just combined, then pour in the hot coffee and continue to mix until the coffee is incorporated. 3/4 cup Coffee
- Divide the batter equally among the 3 prepared cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
- Allow the cakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn over onto a wire rack. Wrap each cake with plastic wrap and allow them to cool completely – this traps in the steam, keeping the cakes super moist.
- Once cooled completely, remove the plastic wrap from the cakes.
- Place one of the cakes onto a cake stand and add 1/3 of the ganache on top of the cake and smooth into an even layer. Place the second cake on top and add another 1/3 of the ganache. Place the third layer on top and frost the cake with the remaining ganache.
- Note: this cake is best served at room temperature. If storing in the refrigerator, allow it to come to room temperature about 1-2 hours before serving.
Notes
- The longer ganache sits, the thicker it becomes which makes it easier to spread onto the cake. However, if the ganache becomes too stiff, warm ganache in the microwave in 15 second increments until the texture loosens up. 1-3 times should suffice.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi! I have been using this recipe for well over a year, maybe even a few, I just went to it and see it’s completely different, did this recipe get updated or change?
Hi! Yes! I’m so happy to hear that you’ve been using this recipe! I recently updated the recipe and it’s even better than before, more fudgy and chocolatey and with more tips and tricks so that it comes out perfectly every time!
This was was the absolute best dark chocolate cake and ganache ever!!! I made this for my husband’s birthday and EVERYONE loved it! We all agree there is no other birthday cake we are ever going to make but this one.
The directions were very clear and easy to follow. I printed it out so I could highlight the directions for mixing and heating so I could see them on the sheet. BTW I made 2 cakes because we has a large party and he wanted 2 layer cakes not a sheet cake.
Best chocolate cake I have ever made! Perfect with a scoop of ice cream!