Incredible (yes, Incredible) Chocolate Cake

Total Time: 2 hrs Preparation Time: 1 hr 30 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
• 8 tablespoons sweet butter
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 6 tablespoons sweet butter
• 9 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate
• 1 ounce semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon dark rum
• 7 tablespoons sweet butter, at room temperature
• 1 (10 ounce) jar raspberry jam (i use seedless) or 1 (10 ounce) jar raspberry preserves (i use seedless)

Recipe

• 1 cake:.
• 2 preheat oven to 350°f and spray two 9" round layer pans with pan and place a parchment circle on the bottom of each pan to make sure the cake doesn't stick.
• 3 in a double boiler (you can do this slowly in the microwave if you feel confident), combine the butter, chocolate and coffee powder.
• 4 stir until mixture is smooth.
• 5 transfer to a large bowl and stir in sugar.
• 6 in a small bowl, mix eggs and sour cream until well blended.
• 7 combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
• 8 alternately blend egg mixture and dry ingredients into chocolate mixture. stir until the batter is smooth.
• 9 divide batter evenly and bake for 30 minutes.
• 10 ganache: in a small saucepan, combine the heavy cream and butter.
• 11 stir over medium heat until butter melts and the mixture comes to a very gentle boil.
• 12 remove from the heat.
• 13 put chips into a food processor and start it, pouring the hot cream mixture through the feed tube. process until smooth.
• 14 let stand in a bowl until cooled.
• 15 do not cool in the refrigerator.
• 16 buttercream: in the top of a double boiler (or in the microwave if you feel comfortable doing it), melt the chocolates.
• 17 stir until smooth.
• 18 remove from heat and cool.
• 19 in the bowl of an electric mixer combine the egg whie and sugar.
• 20 set the bowl over hot, not simmering water.
• 21 do not let the water touch the bottom of the bowl.
• 22 i have put a terry cloth dishtowel in the bottom of a large stock pot, then added some water. as long as the bowl is touching mostly towel, the eggs haven't "cooked"- you can also put a small wire rack at the bottom of the pot, making sure the water doesn't touch the bowl.
• 23 whisk the egg/sugar mixture until it is warm (about 110°) and all the sugar granules have been completely dissolved.
• 24 transfer the bowl to the electric mixer and beat at medium speed for abut 5 minutes, until it is cool and has formed into a thick meringue.
• 25 one tablespoon at a time, add the butter, beating completely until each piece is incorporated after each addition.
• 26 add the melted chocolate and rum.
• 27 continue beating for a few seconds until the buttercream is thick and smooth.
• 28 assembly: place one of the cake layers on a cake plate or cardboard cake round.
• 29 then take four 2" widestrips of waxed paper and place them in a square shape under all four sides of the cake. this will "catch" any of the fluid ganache that drips down.
• 30 spread the top of this layer with the raspberry preserves, stopping about 1" from the edge, all around.
• 31 you don't want the preserves to interfere with the chocolate ganache coating.
• 32 starting around the edge, lay dollops of the buttercream on top of the cake and spread it inward, covering the entire area of the top of the layer.
• 33 top with the second layer.
• 34 now is your opportunity to make your cake even by pressing down any high spots.
• 35 this may result in some of the preserves or buttercream oozing out of the sides.
• 36 scrape tht away and if preserves are coming out of the sides, use additional buttercream to "spackle" that area.
• 37 any exposed preserves will tend to resist the ganache, leaving an exposed area.
• 38 using a metal offset spatula, spread the ganache evenly over the top and sides of the cake.
• 39 there will be plenty of ganache, so pour an ample amount on the top of the cake, guiding it toward and down the sides.
• 40 scrape up any ganache that collects on the waxed paper strips and reuse it.
• 41 once the cake's top and sides are completely covered; set aside.
• 42 you should remove the waxed paper strips once the ganache has solidified a bit in the refrigerator. you will have left over ganache. you can refrigerate it and put it into a piping bag. there will definitely be plenty to pipe rosettes or a full swag onto the bottom of the cake-- and them some.
• 43 be prepared to be showered with compliments on your culinary victory.