What could be better than Siren's Chocolate Cake - a mini chocolate cake with fluffy chocolate ganache frosting!
My choice for this month's Cake Slice Baker's cake is Siren's Chocolate Cake from Little Everyday Cakes by Candace Floyd.
The cake choices from this book have been fantastic!
I don't know if we've enjoyed them more because the recipes are so good or if it's because they're little mini cakes - perfect for us two to nibble on for a couple of days and not throw any away.
The cake itself is very deeply chocolate and moist with an excellent crumb.
That ganache frosting is silky and tastes buttery, even though there's no actual butter in it (except for the butter in the 1 ½ cups of cream of course).
The recipe is fairly easy to put together. It calls for a double-boiler for the butter and chocolate, but you can also melt them together in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, while stirring in between. It'll save you from having to wash the double-boiler.
Have you ever had a bad day in the kitchen? Well, I did. Somehow I ended up with chocolate on my arms, feet, and almost every surface in the kitchen.
I didn't let the ganache firm up enough in the refrigerator before beating it in the mixer and it never got fluffy and spreadable. Started over, and the second time was more successful.
I did find that when turned on high, a mixer will slop liquid out of the bowl and onto anything or anyone standing close enough. Again: be sure and let your ganache firm up in the refrigerator before beating it.
I'm not sure why they call this a Siren's Chocolate Cake. Maybe because it lures you in with all that chocolate!
I'll make this little cake again - it's terrific. It's good room temperature or right out of the refrigerator, too. Milk is recommended, coffee would be great with it, too!
You might also enjoy this other Little Everyday Cakes recipe (one of my favorites!): Chocolate Malt Cake
Siren's Chocolate Cake
Tender, deep chocolate cake with a silky chocolate ganache frosting
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ C all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ C butter
- 2 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped
- 1 egg
- ¾ C buttermilk
- 1 C sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Frosting (Chocolate Ganache):
- 8 oz semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 ½ C heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare two 6" round cake pans - spray the pans with cooking spray. Line each with parchment, spray again, then dust lightly with cocoa powder.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- In a double boiler, melt the butter and chocolate together, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat.
- In a stand-mixer bowl, combine the egg and buttermilk. Beat until blended. Add the sugar and vanilla and again, beat until blended.
- Turn the mixer to low and add the flour mixture, beating until just blended. Pour the chocolate/butter mixture into the bowl and again beat until just blended. Pour the batter evenly between the two cake pans.
- Bake for 25-27 minutes, switching the pans around on the rack halfway through baking.
- Remove pans from the oven and run a sharp knife around the inside edges of the pans. Place the pans on a wire rack and let the cakes cool 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans, peel off the parchment paper and place on rack to cool completely.
- For the Frosting:
- Place the chocolate chips into a stand-mixer bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until there are bubbles around the edges. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips and let sit without stirring for about 10 minutes. Then, stir the mixture until the chips are completely melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Place the bowl in the refrigerator with plastic wrap pressed down on it for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour, until set.
- Remove the bowl from the refrigerator and peel off the plastic wrap. Attach a wire whisk to the mixer and beat the mixture on high speed until fluffy. Beat in the vanilla.
- Frost the layers of the cake and serve.
Notes
Have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go. That way, the cake will come together quickly and deliciously!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 574Total Fat: 35gSaturated Fat: 22gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 90mgSodium: 346mgCarbohydrates: 63gFiber: 3gSugar: 43gProtein: 7g
Nutrition Values are Approximate
Each month The Cake Slice Bakers are offered a selection of cakes from the current book we are baking through. This year it is Little Everyday Cakes by Candace Floyd. We each choose one cake to bake, and then on the 20th - never before - we all post about our cake on our blogs. There are a few rules that we follow, but the most important ones are to have fun and enjoy baking & eating cakes!
Follow our Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest pages where you can find all of our cakes, as well as inspiration for many other cakes. You can also click on the thumbnail pictures below to take you to each of our cakes. If you have a blog and are interested in joining The Cake Slice Bakers and baking along with us, please send an email to thecakeslicebakers at gmail dot com for more details.
The Cake Slice Bakers also have a new Facebook group called The Cake Slice Bakers and Friends. This group is perfect for those who do not have a blog but want to join in the fun and bake through this book.
Siren's Chocolate Cake
Peanut Butter Snack Cake
Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Coconut Streusel
Ganache and I don't always get along too well, but I'm trying to make peace with it. Your cake is beautiful!
Your cake is just STUNNING! That chocolate raspberry combination is a winner - I'm going to have to try this one.
I'm familiar with those less than stellar days in the kitchen. Your cake looks beautiful, and I can't wait to try the recipe.
Thanks Kimberly! I think you'll like it.
I had to chuckle at the sloshing out comment....I think anyone who spends time in the kitchen can relate. Alls well that ends well and this cake ended up amazingly beautiful.
Thanks Wendy!
Your cake, and the ganache, look beautitul. I've had those days in the kitchen. Usually when baking at night. I come down in the morning nd the kitchen is coated in flour!
I think I have one of those night-time kitchen ghosts who piles dirty dishes in my sink while I'm sleeping.... 🙂
Susan, your cake looks delicious and those raspberries - yum! After tasting it I'm sure that the Siren will continue calling me to this cake. After making the Mexican Chocolate cake last month with the same frosting, I decided to make the ganache first and let it cool while I made the cake, as I ran into a similar problem that you did, especially with the heat here.
Thanks Felice! That Mexican Chocolate cake is definitely on my list to make (maybe my December choice...).