Easy Moist Chocolate Cake ... with chocolate ganache.

Easy Moist Chocolate Cake ... with chocolate ganache. I know this isn't something new... it's just chocolate cake. BUT... it's a moist cake with deep chocolate flavor. Ok, maybe most chocolate cakes can vouch for that. However, I like this cake for it's simplicity... and well, for the fact that it doesn't use 2 cups of sugar... nor does it use lots of eggs, because sometimes you only have a single egg in the fridge. I like it because it reminds me of those box cake mixes... and yet it's made from scratch. The cake is light, tender and fluffy, but with enough structure to take on a chocolate ganache.... and somehow, a slice doesn't feel too heavy when eaten with a cup of coffee.

You can make this cake using simple ingredients, but the outcome can be anything but simple... depending on how you adapt it. It's super delicious with the addition of a chocolate ganache. While I posted the basic recipe, feel free to add all sorts of flavorings to the cake or ganache (orange zest, mint, Irish cream, etc.)... a sprinkle of chopped nuts would be good too. For Christmas, crushed mint candies would be nice on top of the ganache. For Thanksgiving, you could add some warm spices to the cake batter and top the ganache with some chopped dried cranberries and maybe some crushed nuts.  The cake is simple to make and can be "stretched" to feed quite a few people....

I made this cake awhile back... a few times... and found the cake adaptable to many uses. This cake is great as a simple snack cake with powdered sugar(no ganache), also good crumbled to make cake pops... or served elegantly with ganache along with a scoop of ice cream, whipped cream or even a drizzle of raspberry coulis. However it's served, I found it worthy to post:). Hope you enjoy...

You will need: adapted from Food and Wine

Chocolate Cake

2 oz chopped chocolate, or chips

3/4 cup oil, I used extra light olive oil

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 TBS vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, I used Hershey's dark

1 tablespoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup strong-brewed coffee, cooled

1 1/3 cup sour cream, original recipe uses 1 cup buttermilk

Ganache

1/3 cup heavy cream

3 ounces bittersweet chopped chocolate/ or chips

Optional, 

mini chocolate chips for topping

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350° F. 
• Oil a 12-cup Bundt pan.... I oiled and floured mine

1. In a small saucepan, melt 2 ounces of the chopped chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly. 

2. Scrape the chocolate into a medium bowl and let cool slightly. 

3. Whisk in the oil and sugar until smooth, then whisk in the egg and the vanilla extract.

4. In a small bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. 

5. Add half of the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture along with 1/2 cup of the coffee and 1/2  of the sour cream(or buttermilk, if using); whisk until smooth. 

6. Add the remaining dry ingredients, coffee and sour cream(or buttermilk, if using)  and whisk until smooth.

7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the lower third of the oven for about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. 

8. Let the cake cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then turn it out and let cool completely.

9. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Remove from heat and add the 3 ounces of chopped chocolate.  Let stand until melted, about 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Let the ganache glaze cool until thick but still pourable, about 5 minutes.

10. Pour the ganache over the cooled cake... sprinkle mini chips, if desired. Let the cake stand until the glaze is set, at least 30 minutes, before serving.