Description

This elegant Double Chocolate Layer Cake features a feather-light cocoa chiffon sponge paired with a decadent dark chocolate crémeux and a whipped milk chocolate mascarpone ganache. It offers a perfect balance of textures and professional-level flavors while maintaining a charming, rustic farmhouse aesthetic.

Ingredients

70% dark chocolate (such as Guanaja)
Milk chocolate (such as Jivara)
Heavy cream (30% fat content)
Mascarpone cheese
Fresh eggs
All-purpose flour
Unsweetened cocoa powder
Granulated sugar
Salt
Baking powder
Grape seed or sunflower oil
Whole milk

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Prepare the dark chocolate crémeux by heating milk and cream in a saucepan, then whisking egg yolks with sugar and combining them into a custard cooked to 180°F (82°C).
Pour the hot custard over the dark chocolate, blend with an immersion blender until smooth, and refrigerate overnight with plastic wrap touching the surface.
Make the whipped ganache base by melting milk chocolate, emulsifying it with a small portion of warm heavy cream, then stirring in the remaining cold cream and mascarpone before chilling for at least 12 hours.
Preheat your oven to 320°F (160°C) and whisk egg yolks with 80g of sugar, oil, and milk before sifting in the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
In a separate bowl, whip egg whites with 30g of sugar until stiff peaks form, then gently fold the meringue into the chocolate batter in three batches.
Pour the batter into a lined 6-7 inch cake tin and bake for 45–50 minutes; let cool completely before slicing into three horizontal layers.
Whip the chilled mascarpone ganache to firm peaks, pipe a ring on the first cake layer, fill the center with crémeux, and repeat the process to stack and decorate the cake.

Notes

For the best results, assemble the cake while the components are cold but allow it to sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving to soften the crémeux slightly. Always use a high-quality cocoa powder with a high fat content to ensure the chiffon sponge remains moist and deeply flavorful. If your ganache begins to look grainy while whipping, stop immediately and fold in a tablespoon of cold liquid cream to smooth it out.

Prep Time: 45 mins
Cook Time: 50 mins
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: French-inspired