Ganache Torte

Valentine’s Day Ganache Torte

I was first introduced to this Ganache Torte during a 1997 holiday baking demonstration at the Specialty Shop in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The thin cake layers were smothered with a simple-to-make chocolate frosting and then enrobed in chocolate ganache, the same recipe I used for truffles. Who could go wrong with a chocolate truffle cake?

I am sharing the recipe with you, but with one new addition—the chocolate cake layers are based on CakebyCourtney’s Chocolate Cake recipe. It’s my go-to chocolate cake recipe for good reason! It’s simply amazing!

This Ganache Torte looks and tastes incredible, and it’s such an uncomplicated cake to make. Pouring ganache may feel intimidating. Just focus on the incredible taste and you won’t be worried about imperfections that are natural when pouring chocolate on a cake! Just start pouring and let the chocolate do all the work!

Ingredients for the Valentine’s Day Ganache Torte:

The Chocolate Cake Layers:

• All-purpose flour: You don’t need specialized cake flour for this cake. And a gluten-free Cup4Cup substitute makes the perfect cake layers also.
• Granulated sugar: The granulated sugar in this recipe is not creamed with the fats, like you see in most cake recipes. But the sugar and cocoa are blended together with the other dry ingredients before the liquids are added.
• Good quality dutch-processed dark cocoa powder: The type of cocoa powder you use in this recipe makes a huge difference. I prefer dutch-processed because it tastes less acidic and especially because it dissolves easily. My favorite choices of dutch-processed dark cocoa powder are Ghiraradelli Majestic and Cacao Berry Extra Brute. Take a look at this blog post by Orson Gygi to learn about cocoa powder.
• Baking soda and Baking powder: leavening agents for this cake.
• Salt: Use a kosher salt or larger grained salt, as opposed to table salt. My favorite salt is Redmond Salt.
• Buttermilk: My most used substitute for buttermilk is half the amount in sour cream or plain yogurt added to half the amount of milk. I rarely buy buttermilk or have it on hand. But I often have sour cream in my refrigerator.
• Vegetable oil: Or substitute any neutral flavored oil in this recipe.

This post might contain affiliate links, please check out my full disclosure policy. I only refer products I have tried and tested.

Frosting and Ganache:

• Unsalted butter: I prefer unsalted butter so I have control of the salt in my recipes.
• Powdered Sugar: I prefer pure cane sugar.
• Dutch-processed cocoa powder: The consistency and chocolate flavor of the frosting will be determined by the type of cocoa powder you use. Dutch-processed will combine with the butter in a more cohesive way. A high quality cocoa powder will enhance the flavors of the cake and the ganache!
• Lor-Ann hazelnut emulsion: Emulsion, instead of extract, has a smooth, less alcoholic flavor to it. It also combines better with pure chocolate than extract does.
• Heavy cream: The higher the fat content, the creamier your ganache will be.
• Quality dark chocolate: You can use high quality semi-sweet chocolate chips, dark chocolate a’peels, or even couverture chocolate. Since the chocolate used for ganache does not need to be tempered, any type of quality chocolate is perfect for this recipe.

How to Make the Valentine’s Day Ganache Torte:

Chocolate Cake:

Take note of these particular instructions:

• Bake at a high temperature: 360° F
• Bake in three 6-inch cake pans, but once cool, plan to cut each layer in half horizontally, to create a total of six thin layers.
• Combine dry ingredients in the bowl of the stand mixer and mix thoroughly.
• In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients, including the ingredient “hot water.”
• Mix dry and wet ingredients together on low speed until just combined.

Filling and Crumb Coat:

• Soften butter and then combine all ingredients at one time.

Layering the Cake:

Some tips for layering this cake:

• Prepare a cardboard cake circle by trimming it to exactly fit the chocolate cake layers. A 6-inch cardboard circle will need to be trimmed just slightly to fit. Tape to a larger cake circle (8-inch) with one piece of tape.
• With spatula, smear a small amount of filling on cake circle—so the stacked cake remains attached to this smaller cake circle.
• The frosting recipe is used as filling between each layer of cake and for the crumb coat.
• Be sure the top layer has the baked side up (not the cut side up), which will help you crumb coat the layered cake easier. And will help the top of the cake be level.
• The crumb coat fills in all the hole and dents. It allows the cake to be level and not leaning. And the crumb coat keeps all the crumbs in place. When using a poured ganache, it is very important to make the crumb coat as smooth as possible—as all the flaws will show in the ganache hugging the side of the cake.
• Chill or freeze the stacked cake. If freezing, only freeze it for 10 minutes so the cake won’t be too cold for the ganache to flow well.

Ganache:

• Heat cream, hazelnut emulsion and butter in microwave until the butter is melted (1 to 1 ½ minutes).
• Chop chocolate into small pieces and place in a bowl.
• Pour heated cream mixture over chocolate pieces and stir until melted.
• Cool slightly before pouring over stacked cake.

Finishing the Cake:

• To prepare for poured ganache: Place two 18-inch sheets of waxed paper side-by-side, but slightly overlapped, on countertop. Place a 6-inch upside-down bowl or a cooling rack lifted off the counter in the center of the waxed paper sheets. Also make room for the layered cake to be placed in the freezer in a level space covered with waxed paper.
• Remove the 8-inch cake circle from the chilled layered cake (keep the smaller cake circle under the layered cake). Place the layered cake on the upside-down bowl.
• Stir ganache. Pour ganache over torte, making sure sides and top are smoothly but evenly covered. Allow excess ganache to flow off of the cake onto the waxed paper below. Sparingly use metal spatula to smooth out the top and sides. Let it flow. The sides will not be perfectly smooth.
• Let the cake sit and drip for a few minutes. Use metal spatula to scrape along the bottom of the 6-inch cardboard cake circle to remove excess chocolate drips from the bottom of the cake.
• Carefully place the ganache covered layer cake in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to set the ganache (or refrigerator for 1 hour).
• Store in refrigerator until ready to serve. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving, depending on climate of room. Place on cake stand. Decorate with chocolate curls, hazelnuts, and raspberries.

A Few More Tips:

How to Make Chocolate Curls:

Melt confectioner’s coating or chocolate chips. Spread on marble slab or countertop or another hard surface with an angled spatula. Spread into a thin layer until chocolate looses its glow. Key: spread as thin as possible. Stop spreading when set-up. Take edge of spatula and scrape into curls. Extra curls can be stored in fridge or freezer for another use. Can also use a potato peeler and a chocolate bar.

What to do with the Excess Ganache?

The excess ganache can be placed in a small bowl. Allow to come to room temperature completely (about a half hour). Use electric mixer to whip until fluffy and lighter in color. Use this ganache in a decorating bag to rim cake base with a border.

Bake this luxurious Ganache Torte to make Valentine’s Day or any day extra special!

-Kim

Print Recipe

Ganache Torte

This Ganache Torte is the perfect chocolate luxury! Thin layers of dark chocolate cake are filled with a chocolate hazelnut frosting and enrobed in dark chocolate hazelnut ganache.

Prep Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Chilling Time30 minutes mins

Total Time2 hours hrs

Course: Dessert

Keyword: cake, chocolate, frosting, ganache

Servings: 6 inch cake

Author: Kim Melanson

Equipment

• 3 6-inch cake pans

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

• (based on CakebyCourtney's High Altitude Chocolate Cake)
• 1 ¾ cups plus 2 Tablespoons (225g) all-purpose flour
• 2 cups minus 2 Tablespoons (375g) granulated sugar
• ¾ cups (88.5g) good quality dutch-processed dark cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• ¾ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup (240g) buttermilk shaken
• ½ cup (109g) vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup (236g) hot water

Filling and Crumb Coat:

• 1 ½ cups (339g-3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 ½ cups (188g) powdered sugar
• ½ cup (50g) good quality dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons Lor-Ann hazelnut emulsion (or vanilla)

Ganache:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons Lor-Ann hazelnut emulsion (or vanilla)
• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 cups (453g—16 oz) quality dark chocolate

Topping:

• Chocolate Curls
• Raspberries washed and dried completely
• Hazelnuts whole or chunked

Instructions

Chocolate Cake:

• Preheat oven to 360° F. Spray three 6-inch cake pans. Line the bottom of the pans with parchment circles and spray again thoroughly.
• In bowl of stand (or electric) mixer, combine dry ingredients: flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix on low speed until combined.
• In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients: buttermilk, oil, eggs, vanilla and hot water. Whisk until combined.
• With mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Scrape edges and bottom of bowl thoroughly.
• Pour batter into pans, equally dividing between the three cake pans. Bake at 360° F for 18-22 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
• Cool in the pans for about 10 minutes and then turn them out on a cooling rack to cool completely.
• Level each cake layer, as needed, and then cut each layer in half horizontally, to create a total of six thin layers. Wrap each thin layer in plastic wrap and chill (or freeze to assemble cake on a later day).

Filling and Crumb Coat:

• Soften butter in microwave safe bowl for 30 seconds at 40% power.
• Sift powdered sugar and cocoa together for best combining. Add to butter.
• Add hazelnut emulsion to bowl and mix on low speed with an electric mixer until completely combined. Set aside.

Toppings:

• Prepare chocolate curls, hazelnuts, and raspberries for placement on finished cake. Set aside.

Layering the Cake:

• Prepare a 6-inch cardboard cake circle by trimming it to exactly fit the chocolate cake layers. Tape to a larger cake circle (8-inch) with one piece of tape.
• With spatula, smear a small amount of filling on cake circle. Center one cake layer on the cake circle. Top with approximately 2-3 Tablespoons of filling and spread to edges in an even layer. Top with another cake layer and repeat process until all layers are stacked. The top layer should have the baked side up, not the cut side.
• Use remaining filling to crumb coat (a thin layer covering the entire cake) the layered cake until the top and sides are smooth and dent free. Place in freezer for 5-10 minutes, no longer.

Ganache:

• In microwave safe bowl, add cream, hazelnut emulsion and butter cut into small pieces. Heat in microwave for 1 minute. Stir. Heat for another 30 seconds if butter is not melted.
• While heating, add chocolate pieces to a separate bowl.
• Pour heated cream mixture over chocolate pieces and stir until mixture comes together into a smooth, pudding-like consistency. Heat in microwave for 15-30 seconds as needed to melt the chocolate.
• Set aside to cool slightly while preparing to pour the ganache over the stacked cake.

Finishing the Cake:

• To prepare for poured ganache: Place two 18-inch sheets of waxed paper side-by-side, but slightly overlapped, on countertop. Place a 6-inch upside-down bowl, or a cooling rack lifted off the counter, in the center of the waxed paper sheets. Also make room for the layered cake to be placed in the freezer in a level space covered with waxed paper.
• Remove the 8-inch cake circle from the chilled layered cake (keep the smaller cake circle under the layered cake). Place the layered cake on the upside-down bowl.
• Stir ganache. Pour ganache over torte, making sure sides and top are smoothly but evenly covered. Allow excess ganache to flow off of the cake onto the waxed paper below. Sparingly use metal spatula to smooth out the top and sides. Let it flow. The sides will not be perfectly smooth.
• Let the cake sit and drip for a few minutes. Use metal spatula to scrape along the bottom of the 6-inch cardboard cake circle to remove excess chocolate drips from the bottom of the cake.
• Carefully place the ganache covered layer cake in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to set the ganache (or refrigerator for 1 hour).
• Store in refrigerator until ready to serve. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving, depending on climate of room. Place on cake stand. Decorate with chocolate curls, hazelnuts, and raspberries.

Notes

Chocolate Curls:
Melt confectioner’s coating or chocolate chips. Spread on marble slab or countertop or another hard surface with an angled spatula. Spread into a thin layer until chocolate looses its glow. Key: spread as thin as possible. Stop spreading when set-up. Take edge of spatula and scrape into curls. Extra curls can be stored in fridge or freezer for another use. Can also use a potato peeler and a chocolate bar.

The excess ganache can be placed in a small bowl. Allow to come to room temperature completely (about a half hour). Use electric mixer to whip until fluffy and lighter in color. Use this ganache in a decorating bag to rim cake base with a border.