Made this in a bit of a rush last night for my son's birthday. I didn't
really have the time to let the cakes cool enough so that I could get the
full 8 layers but it turned out pretty awesome.

Also used a full 24 oz of chocolate for the ganache rather than the 14 the
recipe calls for. Anytime I've made it if I don't do a 1/1 cream/chocolate
mix it doesn't seem to turn out the way I want. I also use like 56%
semi-sweet chocolate.

Along with the chocolate curls I threw a bunch of fresh blueberries on.

RED EYE DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE

INGREDIENTS

For the chocolate cake
 3 cups all-purpose flour
 2 teaspoons baking soda
 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 1 cup Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder
 2 cups strongly brewed coffee
 2 sticks unsalted butter (8 ounces), softened, plus more for the pans
 3 cups granulated sugar
 4 large eggs, at room temperature
For the ganache
 14 ounces coarsely chopped dark chocolate (minimum 70% cacao content)
 3 cups heavy cream
For decorating and serving
 About 1/2 pound block bittersweet chocolate for chocolate curls for
decorating, optional
 Whipped cream for serving, optional
 Fresh berries for serving, optional

DIRECTIONS
Make the chocolate cakes
Preheat the oven to 350. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Butter
two 9-inch round cake pans 
with unsalted butter. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment or waxed
paper rounds and butter 
the rounds.
Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt onto a piece of
parchment paper or into a large bowl.
Place the cocoa in a small bowl and whisk in the coffee, a little at a time,
until smooth.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the
butter until fluffy and then 
beat in the sugar. Mix on high speed until very light and fluffy, 6 to 8
minutes.
Add half the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed just
until incorporated. Add the 
eggs, 1 at a time, beating to incorporate after each addition. Add the
cocoa-coffee mixture and beat to 
incorporate. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix just until incorporated.
Divide the batter evenly between the 2 pans and bake on the center rack,
turning the pans from back to 
front during the baking, until a cake tester inserted into the center of the
cakes comes out completely 
clean, about 45 minutes.
Let the cakes cool in the pans on racks for about 30 minutes.
Slide a thin knife or offset spatula around the sides of the pans and gently
turn them over onto the wire 
racks to unmold the cakes. Carefully peel the paper rounds from the bottoms
and let the cakes to cool 
completely, at least 30 to 40 minutes more. Cover and refrigerate the layers
to make the cake less 
crumbly and easier to slice when cutting the layers.
Make the ganache
While the cakes cool, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the cream to a boil. Pour
the hot cream over the 
chocolate and let it sit for 3 minutes.
Whisk until the cream and chocolate are thoroughly combined and smooth and
slightly cooled. Cover 
tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Once the
ganache is chilled, whisk just until 
fluffy.
Assemble the cake
Using a long serrated knife, cut each cake horizontally into 4 thin layers.
To do this, place 1 hand flat on 
top of a cake. Slice into the cake about 1/2 inch from its top and use a
sawing motion to slowly move the 
knife into the cake about 1 inch. Then, still slicing back and forth, turn
the cake (counterclockwise if you 
are right-handed, clockwise if you are left-handed) on the table, going
around the circumference of the 
cake but not cutting into its center. After the first full outer circle is
complete, hold the knife level, dig 
into the cake another inch, and turn the cake again in the same direction.
Repeat until you have sliced 
all the way through the cake. Carefully remove this top layer and repeat to
obtain 4 layers from each of 
the 2 cakes.
Place 1 of the bottom cake layers on a platter or cake stand and spread a
thin layer of ganache over the 
top. Repeat with the rest of the layers. Use some of the remaining ganache to
apply a very thin coat on 
the sides of the cake, giving it a ?crumb coat? that seals in the crumbs and
prevents them from 
appearing on the outside of the finished cake. Refrigerate the cake with its
crumb coat for 1 hour. Then 
slather the cake with the remaining ganache.
Make the chocolate curls.
Sprinkle the chocolate curls on the top of the cake and gently press them
against the sides.

                                                 -=>Richard Miles<=-
                                                -=>Captain Obvious<=-
                                              -=>bbs.shadowscope.com<=-

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A44 2020/01/27 (Windows/32)