Salted Dark Chocolate Layer Cake

Are you able to recall what is the first cake you have baked? My virgin attempt on baking was this simple chocolate cake (without frosting) which I tried decades ago! That was the time when I got a new oven for my new home. ^0^ I can still remember I was so enthusiastic when I just got my new oven and a simple handheld mixer hahaha....and guess what? I'm am still using the same old equipment till now!! As I'm an amateur in baking during that time, glad that I've chosen a simple and straight forward cake recipe to fall on and it did not turn out too badly. From there on I explored and read a lot of recipes and improved on my baking skills. Guess I fare not too bad with all these years of trial and errors. Today I just want to bake this simple chocolate cake again with simple chocolate  frosting so that I could document it down in my blog. ^0^ 

Back to this cake. As I've mentioned this is a simple chocolate cake. No egg separation method or whole egg beating till ribbon stage. This is a one bowl mixing method, i.e. mixing the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients briefly for about 2 minutes and the batter is ready! Really easy and straight forward method right? Just a reminded that this is not a light and fluffy texture sponge chocolate cake due to its mixing method. The cake is moist and slightly dense. I've reduced down the sugar in the recipe and with touch of sea salt flakes (do not use table salt), it helps to balance out the sweetness in this chocolate layer cake. Oh the chocolate frosting....I love it too! Unlike ganache made with double cream and butter, this simple ganache is made with dark chocolate and sour cream. Stir and mix and you will get a luscious and creamy ganache for frosting. There's no need to let it sit in room temperature or chill to thicken. The ganache is not too runny or thick and is perfect to use for piping like what I've did. *0*

Ingredient (one 8" two layer cake)

• 225gm fine sugar
• 220gm plain flour
• 85gm cocoa powder
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 1.5 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 250ml milk
• 125ml rice bran oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 250ml boiling water
• 1 tsp sea salt flakes 

Quick Chocolate Ganache

• 320gm dark chocolate, melted
• 200ml sour cream

Method

1. Grease and line two 8" cake pan.
2. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda into a large mixing bowl.
3. Add in sugar and salt and mix well with a hand whisk.
4. Add in eggs, milk, oil and vanilla into the flour mixture. Using a electric whisk, beat the mixture on medium speed for 2 minutes.
5. Stir in boiling water. Batter will be thin.
6. Pour the batter equally into the cake pan. Bake in preheated oven at 180 deg cel for 35mins, or until a wooden stick inserted comes out clean.
7. Cool in pan for 10mins. Unmould the cake and cool on wire rack completely before frosting.
8. Combine melted chocolate with sour cream and stir to mix well.
9. Place a cake on a serving plate. Spread half of the ganache over. Top with the other cake and spread/pipe with remaining ganache. Sprinkle sea salt flakes over the ganache. Serve. 

Recipe ref : hershey.com