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Bryan D.'s Chocolate Opera Cream Cake

Four layers of chocolate cake with opera cream in between.
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Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 16

Equipment

  • 4 cake pans
  • 2 small bowls
  • Mixer and paddle attachment

Ingredients
  

Chocolate Cake

  • 1 1/2 cups boiling water
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 1/2 cups white flour
  • 1 1/4 teas. baking soda
  • 1/8 teas. salt
  • 1 cup butter, unsalted, room temp
  • 1 1/3 cups brown sugar, packed
  • 2 teas. vanilla extract
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips
  • 1 TBLS. Kahlua

Opera Cream filling

  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 TBLS corn syrup
  • 1/4 teas. salt
  • 1 teas. vanilla

Chocolate Ganache

  • 6 oz. semisweet chocolate
  • 2 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 TBLS. sugar

Instructions
 

  • In a small bowl, add a little of the boiling water to the cocoa, whisking to make a paste, then add the rest of the water. Set aside to cool.
  • Grease, line 4 cake pans with parchment or wax paper, grease and flour the pans.
  • In another bowl mix together the flour, baking soda and salt.
    In the mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla, Kahlua and chocolate chips
    Add the flour mixture alternating with the cooled cocoa mixture, beating after each addition.
    Divide evenly between four pans that have been greased, lined and floured.
  • Bake for 17 to 19 minutes at 325 degrees. Cake will still look a little wet on top, but if you test it with a knife, it will come out clean.
    Let the cakes cool.
  • In a small saucepan, bring the sugar, cream corn syrup and salt to 235 degrees.
    Remove from the heat and add 1/3 cup of powdered sugar and 1 teas. vanilla.
    Using your mixer, beat well (about 30 seconds). Refrigerate until it is the consistency of frosting.
    If it is too thick, you can add a little cream.
  • Spread the opera cream between the 4 cake layers, beginning and ending with a chocolate cake layer. Refrigerate the cake until you are ready to cover with the chocolate ganache.
  • Make the ganache: Put the semi sweet and unsweetened chocolate in a heat proof bowl. Put the cup of cream on the stove in a small pot with the TBLS of sugar and bring to a boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 5 minutes. Then take your whisk and stir until the ganache has a smooth consistency. Let it sit until it comes to room temp.
    Take the cake out of the refrigerator and smooth a layer of ganache over the top and sides of the cake.
    Decorate with white chocolate chips or swirls.

Notes

Use a potato peeler on a bar of white chocolate to get the little swirls for decorating the top of the cake. 
Keyword chocolate, opera cream