Chocolate Blackout Cake

(Mean Chef adoptee) I have tried many versions of the famous New York blackout cake. After many trials I have settled on this one by Wayne Harley Brachman - Retro Desserts. It is awsome. Source: "Retro Desserts". Use Dark Chocolate Ganache for icing. Adopted 9/06

• Ready In: 1 hr 20 mins
• Yields: 1 8inch cake

Ingredients

• CAKE

• 1 1⁄4 cups cake flour
• 1⁄2 cup  unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 5  ounces unsalted butter
• 1 1⁄2 cups sugar
• 3  large eggs
• 1⁄2 cup buttermilk
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 1⁄2 cup  strong brewed coffee
• 2  cups  dark chocolate ganache

• Chocolate Pudding

• 4  ounces bittersweet chocolate
• 2  tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2  tablespoons cornstarch
• 1⁄4 cup  unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1⁄2 cup sugar, divided
• 2 1⁄2 cups milk, divided
• 1  large egg
• 2  large  egg yolks

• ICING

• 2  cups  dark chocolate ganache (Dark Chocolate Ganache)

Directions

1. For the Pudding: Melt chocolate and butter in bowl over simmering water.
2. In medium bowl, whisk cornstarch, cocoa, and 1/4 cup of the sugar into 1/2 cup of the milk.
3. Then whisk in eggs and yolks.
4. In saucepan bring 2 cups of milk and 1/4 cup of sugar just to a simmer.
5. Temper with egg mixture, return all to pan and whisk constantly until bubbles boil up for 3 seconds.
6. Remove from heat and strain.
7. Thoroughly mix in melted chocolate.
8. Cover surface with plastic.
9. Cool for 1 hour then refrigerate.
10. For the Cake: Preheat oven to 350.
11. Spray and line with parchment 1 8-inch cake pan.
12. Tripple sift together: flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
13. Cream butter and sugar.
14. Add eggs one at a time until incorporated.
15. Beat until light and fluffy- 6 minutes Mix liquid ingredients together.
16. Alternately beat in wet and dry ingredients.
17. Pour into cake pan.
18. Bake until tests done.
19. About 30-40 minutes.
20. Cool.
21. Make ganache.
22. Let sit until spreadable.
23. Turn cake out of pan.
24. Trim top to flatten (save scraps) and slice into 3 layers.
25. Toast scraps on sheetpan for 5 minutes, cool and process coarsley in food processor.
26. Spread pudding between layers, frost with ganache and coat sides with crumbs.