Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F (163 degrees C). Prepare two 8-inch round cake pans by coating them with vegetable shortening or butter. Line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper, press it down, and coat the paper with shortening or butter. Sprinkle flour inside the pans, shake to coat evenly, and tap out the excess.
- In a large bowl, combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir to mix.
- Add the eggs, egg yolk, vegetable oil, yogurt, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Beat on low speed with an electric mixer until just blended, then increase speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Reduce mixer speed to low. While the mixer is running, slowly pour in the hot coffee until blended. Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides, and stir to ensure the batter is well combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Approximately 920 grams of batter per pan.
- Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until the cake tops are set and pulling away from the sides. Insert a toothpick into the center; it should come out with moist crumbs, not raw batter.
- Let the cakes cool in their pans for 5 minutes. Invert the cakes onto wire cooling racks to cool completely.
- To assemble, place one cake layer right side up on a cake board. Spread a generous amount of milk chocolate buttercream over the top. Place the second cake layer upside down on top of the buttercream. Cover the entire cake with a thick layer of buttercream, smoothing the top and sides.
- Press ground nuts around the bottom edge of the cake.
- Refrigerate the cake for 1 hour to firm up the buttercream.
- Prepare the dark chocolate ganache. Ensure it has a pourable consistency, like pancake batter. If too thick, gently warm it; if too thin, chill it briefly.
- Pour the ganache over the top of the chilled cake, allowing it to drip down the sides.
- Decorate the top of the cake with chocolate truffles.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
For the ground nuts, process about 3/4 cup of nuts in a food processor until ground. Be careful not to over-process into nut butter. Roasted and salted nuts are recommended, but raw nuts will also work.
Homemade chocolate truffles can be made by preparing chocolate ganache, chilling it until firm, rolling into balls, and coating as desired. Alternatively, use store-bought truffles.
Cake layers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours or frozen for up to 3 months. Buttercream and ganache can also be prepared in advance and stored in the refrigerator or freezer according to the provided guidelines, ensuring they are brought to the correct temperature before use.