When I want chocolate, I WANT CHOCOLATE. This dessert has a dense mocha cake drizzled with rich ganache and topped with chocolate shavings. Did you ever watch that movie Matilda as a child? The scene where little boy goes on stage and sits in front of this enormous chocolate cake. Using his hands to eat piece after piece of that dark chocolate fudge-y cake. Thick chocolate frosting covering his face as he takes the final bite. I cannot remember much of the movie, but my whole life I have compared every chocolate cake that I make to what I imagine that Matilda cake tastes like. Is the cake thick and fudge-y? Is the icing rich and melt-y? Does that chocolate flavor really stand out? I would say this cake nails it in all categories.
I utilized cocoa powder and chocolate bark in this cake. I love chocolate bark because it is so universal. Usually it is made with extra fat so it melts down into such a smooth chocolate. Usually I use a nice heavy whipping cream for my ganache, but this bark only needed a splash of milk to get the texture I needed. The chocolate finishing was again using the remaining chocolate bark. Just a tiny bit of shavings to complete this treat. Next time I might try and add in black walnuts. I think they would pair so well with this rich cake.
- For the Cake
- 1 cup cocoa powder (the darker the better)
- 2 cups of sugar
- 2 eggs room temp
- 1 1/2 AP flour
- 1 tsp coffee extract
- 1 cup of hot fresh brewed coffee or espresso
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup of canola oil
- For the Ganache
- 3 cubes of chocolate bark around 8 oz
- 1/4 cup of milk
- 1 tsp coffee extract optional
- Chocolate Shavings
- Preheat oven to 350. Spray down your bundt pan until very well coated. Mix together the eggs, sugar, extract and oil. Add in the dry ingredients until just combined. Stir in the hot coffee last. Pour into the pan and bake for 30 – 35 minutes. Let cool for at least an hour.
- Put the chocolate bark and milk in a microwave safe bowl and heat in 30 second intervals until chocolate starts to melt. Stir until the smooth ganache comes together.
- Pour over the cake and top with shavings.
- (For the shavings I just used the bark and a veggie peeler)
Cut yourself a big piece of this cake. You deserve it 😉
