This Christmas Chocolate Toffee Cake is a chocolate lover�s dream and fancy enough to take a central place on your Christmas table!
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter -softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup sour cream
For the filling:
- 16 oz. semisweet chocolate chopped into small pieces
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons runny honey or light corn syrup
- 1 1/2 cups toffee bits
For topping:
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar(or more to taste)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- � cup caramel sauce
- White chocolate block or bar for garnish-optional
Instructions
- Make the ganache in advance it takes a few hours to set!!! It should be smooth enough to spread, but not too runny!!!
- To make the cake preheat oven to 350�F, grease three 9-inch round baking pans, line bottoms with parchment paper, grease and flour paper, set aside
- In small bowl stir cocoa and boiling water until smooth, set aside to cool.
- In medium bowl stir together flour, baking soda and salt, set aside.
- In large bowl beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, then stir in vanilla. Gradually add cocoa mixture and beat well until evenly combined.
- Alternately add 1/3 of flour mixture, milk, 1/3 of flour mixture, sour cream, the rest of flour mixture. Mix until well blended. Divide batter into prepared pans and bake 28-35 minutes (until the toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean). Cool 10 minutes in the pans, remove from pans to wire racks and carefully peel off wax paper. Cool completely.
- To make the ganache place finely chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
- In a small sauce pan combine heavy cream and honey, heat over low-medium heat until just start to simmer around the edges, don�t boil the heavy cream. Pour over chopped chocolate and let it sit for a few minutes, then stir well until the chocolate is completely melted and the ganache is smooth and shiny. Cover the ganache and chill, stirring occasionally, until thickened but spreadable, about 3 hours. It should be smooth enough to spread, but not too runny!!! If it�s too thick let it sit at room temperature until softened.
- To assemble the cake, place the first cake layer on serving plate, spread half of the ganache, sprinkle with � cup toffee bits. Place second cake layer, spread the rest of the ganache and sprinkle with � cup toffee bits. Top with 3rd cake layer. Place in the fridge to set.
- To make the topping beat heavy cream until soft peaks form, add powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until stiff peaks form. Add caramel sauce and mix well to combine. Add more powdered sugar if it�s not sweet to your taste. Cover the cake with whipped cream.
- Garnish as desired. If you want to make white chocolate curls, use potato peeler to shave the curls from the block or bar of white chocolate.
source:http://omgchocolatedesserts.com