Black Pearl Layer Cake
Serves: 6
Clarabelle Lynch
1 January 1970
Based on User reviews:
44
Spice
48
Sweetness
58
Sourness
44
mins
Prep time (avg)
5.1
Difficulty
Ingredients:
1 tsp
Ground Ginger1 tsp
Wasabi Powder (*)1 tbsp
Corn Syrup2 cups
Water (boiling)2.25 cups
Sugar1 cup
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder2.75 cups
All-Purpose Flour2 tsps
Baking Soda1 tsp
Baking Powder1 tsp
Salt4 large
Egg1 tsp
Vanilla ExtractDirections:
1
Add sugar, vanilla, and ginger
2
Beat until stiff peaks form
3
For black pearl ganache: Place chocolate in medium bowl
4
Bring cream, ginger, and wasabi to boil in small pot
5
Pour hot cream over chocolate; cover with plastic wrap and let stand 15 minutes
6
Whisk cream and chocolate until smooth
7
Mix sesame seeds and corn syrup in small bowl to coat; stir into chocolate mixture
8
Let cool to lukewarm
9
Stir in butter
10
Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight to set
11
Place chocolate in medium bowl
12
Bring cream, ginger, and wasabi to boil in small pot
13
Pour hot cream over chocolate; cover with plastic wrap and let stand 15 minutes
14
Whisk cream and chocolate until smooth
15
Mix sesame seeds and corn syrup in small bowl to coat; stir into chocolate mixture
16
Let cool to lukewarm
17
Stir in butter
18
Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight to set
19
For ginger syrup: Place 1 cup water, sugar, and ginger in small saucepan
20
Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into pan; add bean
21
Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves
22
Simmer 2 minutes; remove from heat
23
Let stand at room temperature 1 hour for flavors to blend
24
Strain syrup into small bowl
25
Chop ginger
26
(Can be prepared 1 day ahead
27
Cover and refrigerate ginger and syrup separately
28
) Place 1 cup water, sugar, and ginger in small saucepan
29
Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into pan; add bean
30
Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves
31
Simmer 2 minutes; remove from heat
32
Let stand at room temperature 1 hour for flavors to blend
33
Strain syrup into small bowl
34
Chop ginger
35
(Can be prepared 1 day ahead
36
Cover and refrigerate ginger and syrup separately
37
) For cake: Preheat oven to 350°F
38
Butter and flour three 8-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides
39
Line bottoms with parchment paper
40
Whisk 2 cups boiling water, cocoa powder, and reserved chopped ginger in medium heatproof bowl
41
Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in large bowl
42
Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until fluffy, about 1 minute
43
Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until incorporated after each addition
44
Beat in vanilla extract
45
Add flour mixture in 4 additions alternately with cocoa mixture in 3 additions, beginning and ending with flour mixture
46
Divide batter among prepared cake pans; smooth tops
47
Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes
48
Cool in pans 5 minutes
49
Turn cakes out onto racks; cool completely
50
(Cakes can be prepared 1 day ahead
51
Wrap with plastic wrap and store at room temperature
52
) Preheat oven to 350°F
53
Butter and flour three 8-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides
54
Line bottoms with parchment paper
55
Whisk 2 cups boiling water, cocoa powder, and reserved chopped ginger in medium heatproof bowl
56
Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in large bowl
57
Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until fluffy, about 1 minute
58
Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until incorporated after each addition
59
Beat in vanilla extract
60
Add flour mixture in 4 additions alternately with cocoa mixture in 3 additions, beginning and ending with flour mixture
61
Divide batter among prepared cake pans; smooth tops
62
Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes
63
Cool in pans 5 minutes
64
Turn cakes out onto racks; cool completely
65
(Cakes can be prepared 1 day ahead
66
Wrap with plastic wrap and store at room temperature
67
) For whipped cream frosting: Beat cream in large bowl until soft peaks form
68
Using long serrated knife, trim rounded tops off cakes to create flat surface
69
Place 1 cake layer, cut side up, on plate
70
Brush top with 1/3 cup ginger syrup
71
Spread half of ganache over top of cake
72
Place second layer, cut side up, atop first layer
73
Brush with 1/3 cup syrup; spread with remaining ganache
74
Top with third cake layer
75
Brush with remaining syrup
76
Spread sides and top with whipped cream frosting
77
Sprinkle top with black sesame seeds
78
Refrigerate until ganache is set, about 4 hours
79
Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving
80
(Can be made 1 day ahead
81
Keep refrigerated
82
) Beat cream in large bowl until soft peaks form
83
Add sugar, vanilla, and ginger
84
Beat until stiff peaks form
85
Using long serrated knife, trim rounded tops off cakes to create flat surface
86
Place 1 cake layer, cut side up, on plate
87
Brush top with 1/3 cup ginger syrup
88
Spread half of ganache over top of cake
89
Place second layer, cut side up, atop first layer
90
Brush with 1/3 cup syrup; spread with remaining ganache
91
Top with third cake layer
92
Brush with remaining syrup
93
Spread sides and top with whipped cream frosting
94
Sprinkle top with black sesame seeds
95
Refrigerate until ganache is set, about 4 hours
96
Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving
97
(Can be made 1 day ahead
98
Keep refrigerated
99
) *Available in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets and at Asian markets
100
*Available in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets and at Asian markets