LaPhroaig-infused chocolate cake with sour cherries, chocolate buttercream and ganache

Ingredients

Directions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and position the racks toward the center.

Lightly grease and flour (or use Baker's Joy spray) two 6-inch round cake pans. Set aside.

Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and sugar, whisking to blend; set aside.

In a heavy-bottomed, medium pan, melt the butter on medium-high heat. Once melted, add the coffee and whisk together.

Add the cocoa--gradually--whisking to combine. The mixture should come to a simmer, but not a boil. You want it to thicken.

Once thickened, cool the cocoa mixture for about 10-15 minutes.

In your stand mixer, whip together the eggs and milk. Add the vanilla.

Once the cocoa mixture has cooled, slowly add a little bit of the mixture to temper the eggs, whisking constantly.

Add the remaining mixture, whisking to combine (this might best be done by taking the bowl off the stand mixer and whisking by hand, then putting it back on to the mixer for the dry ingredients).

Add the dry ingredients in 3-4 stages. Add the whisky, mixing well to combine.

Divide the batter between the 2 cake pans, trying to keep it as even as possible.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. When finished baking, cool in the pan for 30+ minutes.

Remove the cake layers from the pans and finish cooling them on the wire racks.

For the filling, mix the cornstarch with 1/2 tbsp of water and stir to combine. Set aside.

Combine sour cherries, sugar, vanilla and salt in a saucepan. Cook the mixture over medium heat for approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until cherry juices are released.

Add cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil, stirring often.

Remove the cherry mixture from the heat and cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

For the frosting, beat the butter until light and fluffy.

Add 1 cup of sugar, beating until combined. Add the cocoa powder and vanilla.

Finally, add the remaining sugar gradually and heavy cream (as needed) and whip until light and fluffy.

To assemble, place the bottom layer on a cake round. Trim the top off to make an even layer.

Using some of the chocolate buttercream, pipe a border to keep the cherry filling in, around the top edge of the first layer.

Add the cherry filling within the buttercream border, leaving about a 1/2 cup to top the cake.

Trim the top off the second layer, turn it cut-side down and place on top of the filling. Place in the freezer to chill for about 20 minutes.

Apply a crumb coating of chocolate buttercream. Chill for 20-30 minutes in the freezer.

Frost using the remaining buttercream, smoothing as necessary (any major bumps will be seen through the ganache.

Chill for at least 30 minutes in the fridge (not the freezer) while making the ganache.

To make the ganache, place the chocolate in a large heat-proof mixing bowl.

Heat the cream in a pan over medium high heat and bring to a gentle boil.

Remove the pan from the heat and pour the cream over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is fully melted.

Let the ganache cool down to 80 degrees Fahrenheit ... the mixture should still be pourable, but definitely not hot.

Remove the cake from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes, placed on a metal cooling rack over wax paper in a jelly roll pan (to collect the dripping chocolate). Also, if possible, use something like a container lid that's smaller than the cake round to lift it off the cooling rack.

Once the ganache is cool enough, pour it into a measuring cup.

Do one pour over, covering the top of the cake and getting the ganache to run down the sides. If necessary, smooth down some of the chocolate with an offset spatula or bench scraper.

Scrape additional chocolate from the wax paper back into the measuring cup.

Chill the cake for 10 minutes or so to set the base ganache.

Remove the cake from the fridge and pour more of the ganache, getting a smooth, even coating. Chill.

Reserve the additional ganache to pipe on a design later.

Once the cake has chilled for about 30 minutes, remove it from the fridge and place on you serving plate or cake stand.

To create the top design, use a 3-inch round cookie cutter and center it over the cake, lightly pressing in, giving yourself a guideline.

Pipe small stars all around the pressed circle, then create a border at the bottom of the cake.

Top with the remaining sour cherry mixture in the middle of the ring.

https://cupcakefridayproject.com/2013/02/laphroaig-infused-chocolate-cake-with-sour-cherries-chocolate-buttercream-and-ganache/

All work by Cupcake Friday Project is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License