Blackout Cake

Total Time: 5 hrs 40 mins Preparation Time: 5 hrs Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 1 1/4 cups softened butter
• 3 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
• 3 cups flour
• 3 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/3 cups boiling water
• 3/4-1 cup roasted slivered almonds
• 18 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut up
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350 degrees f.
• 2 grease and flour 2 9-inch cake pans.
• 3 tap out excess flour.
• 4 in a large bowl beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.
• 5 add eggs and vanilla extract; beat till well blended.
• 6 add melted chocolate and beat 1-2 minutes.
• 7 mix together flour and baking soda and salt.
• 8 add to chocolate mixture in 2 additions alternately with the buttermilk.
• 9 beat till well blended.
• 10 on low speed, add boiling water and beat till smooth.
• 11 (batter will be thin.) pour into prepared pans.
• 12 bake for 35-40 minutes or until tester inserted in center comes out clean.
• 13 let cool in pans for 10 to 15 minutes.
• 14 turn out onto wire racks and cool completely.
• 15 for ganache:melt chocolate chips and cream together and stir until smooth.
• 16 stir in butter and vanilla.
• 17 cover and refrigerate for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until ganache holds its shape and is thick enough to spread on cake layers.
• 18 cover one layer with a little more than 1/3 of the ganache.
• 19 top with second layer; frost top and sides with remaining ganache.
• 20 press almond slivers into sides of cake.
• 21 refrigerate 3 to 4 hours for ganache to firm back up for easier slicing.