Devil’s Food Cake with Mint Chocolate Ganache
April 12 2019
Ok kids buckle up as we dive into the latest bake.
My mom was hosting a dinner party and needed a dessert and asked me to make one.
I picked this one as it looked really tasty and was ready for more of a challenge.
It calls for Ganache – which is an extra recipe in the back of the book.
The cake part of the recipe came together nicely.
It was a thick batter that required spreading in the pans, not just pouring them.
After the cakes cooled I started on the ganache.
Ganache is only heavy cream and chocolate, but it is nerve wracking.
You need to bring the cream to a boil and then add the chocolate, then whisk until smooth – this is burning sugar all over again!
So, I am boiling the cream, it is taking longer than I thought.
Also, 2 pounds of chocolate is a lot!
I am nervous to drop all this chocolate in the cream in, but here I go.
I removed the cream from the heat and started to whisk.
It is really gloopy, and not combining very well.
Things are not looking good…but wait with just a few more turns of my whisk, it comes together and forms into the rich chocolate topping that is ganache!
I did it!
Ok, there are two parts to this ganache. I need to whip half of it into submission, so I can spread it between the cake layers, before the pouring the remaining ganache over it all.
I need to wait for this to cool and I am a little weary, as the last time I needed to whip something it failed miserably!
So I am whipping half of the ganache. It is lightening in colour and starting to form peaks, but it is still a bit runny.
I am starting to put it between the cake layers and it is firming quickly.
I think it needs to be chilled. I put it in the fridge for 30 minutes
That did it! It is spreading much easier now and staying in place.
I cover the cakes and spread a thin layer all over the assembled cake.
Now the fun part, pouring the more fluid ganache over the entire cake.
This part went really well.
It looks beautiful! And tastes really good.
Alright here is where Martha gets all Martha-y on us.
As a garnish, we are to pant mint leaves with melted chocolate, then separate then to create a “mint” chocolate leaf for the cake.
First, my mom bought the mint and she didn’t keep it in the fridge.
It had mainly wilted beyond repair by the time I got it and was going to be difficult to get enough and they look pretty sad.
I salvaged what I could and “painted” the mint leaves. I didn’t use enough chocolate and it was too thin and the leaves didn’t have the stability it needed. I made it work as best as I could, but they were a little sad looking.
So, this was not a difficult bake, but it was time consuming.
I was not overly sweet. The cake had a nice rich texture that was not too dense or heavy. The mint flavor was bang on without overpowering the entire dessert.
My dad, who is not a cake guy at all – more of chips and dip man – went back for seconds the next day!
When I make this again, I will chill the ganache to be whipped before I start whipping to ensure it gets to the right level of firmness for spreading on the cake.
This bake looks as good as it tastes, and is totally worth the effort
100% Bakeable!
