*  Exported from  MasterCook  *

                             BLACK-OUT CAKE

Recipe By     :
Serving Size  : 1    Preparation Time :0:00
Categories    : Cakes                            Desserts

 Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
                       -----CAKE-----
    3/4   c            Butter, softened
  3       ts           Baking soda
  3       c            Sugar
  3                    Eggs
    1/2   ts           Salt
    3/4   c            Buttermilk
  1 1/3   c            Boiling water
  4       oz           Unsweetned chocolate, melted
  3       c            Flour
    3/4   c            Roasted almonds, diced
  2       ts           Vanilla extract
                       -----CHOCOLATE GANACHE-----
 18       oz           Semisweet choclatechips(3cup
  1 1/2   c            Heavy cream
  1       t            Vanilla
  2       tb           Butter,cut up

 1.Preheat oven to 350 F. grease 2 nine inch round cake
 pans. Dust with flour, tap out excess. 2.In a large
 bowl, beat together butter and sugar with electric
 mixer or medium speed until light and fluffy,1-2
 minutes. add eggs and vanilla and beat until well
 blended. add chocolate and beat 1-2 minutes. 3.Mix
 together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to chocolate
 mixture in two additions alternately with buttermilk.
 Beat until well blended. With mixer on low speed, add
 boiling water and beat until smooth( batter will be
 thin) Pour batter into prepared pans. 4.Bake 35-40
 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center
 comes out clean. Let cool in pans 10 minutes, then
 unmold onto racks and let cool completely. 5.Make
 Chocolate Ganache:In a 2 qart glass measure, combine
 chocolate chips and heavy cream. Heat in a microwave
 oven on HIGH 3 minutes, or until melted and smooth
 when stirred. Stir in butter and vanilla. 6.Cover and
 refrigerate 1 hour, or until ganache holds its shape
 and is thick enough to spread on cake. 7.Cover a cake
 layer with a little more than 1/3 of chocolate
 ganache. Set second layer on top. Frost top and sides
 of cake with remaining ganache. Press almonds into
 side of cake. Refrigerate cake 3-4 hours, or until
 ganache is firm, before serving.



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