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