Bake 2.3: Layered Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Chocolate Buttercream and Ganache

Cake showstopper time! The cake round showstopper was to make chocolate tiered celebration cake with an elaborate multi-layer design. Chocolate is something I enjoy but have not worked with so I am pushing myself by making some tempered chocolate decorations to pair with this moist chocolate cake with a secret ingredient, squash! You can just not tell the kids or the picky eater in your life and then give yourself a high five for the win. 

Ingredients

Cake

2 3/4 cups of all purpose flour

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons espresso powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar 

1 cup packed light brown sugar

6 large eggs

1/2 cup sour cream (or yogurt if that is what you have)

1 tablespoon vanilla

4 1/2 cups shredded zucchini (wash the zucchini and shred on the large side of a box grater, do not remove the moisture for this recipe)

1 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips

Chocolate Buttercream

2 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter at room temperature

4 cups confectioners' sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

Chocolate Ganache

1 cup of chocolate chips of your choice, I used dark chocolate

1 cup of heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare three round cake pans with cooking spray with flour or parchment paper. 

Mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, espresso powder and salt in a large bowl. In your mixer bowl combine the oil, sugar, eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Mix well then add the zucchini and mix again. Slowly add the dry mixture while beating on medium speed. Stop the mixer when there are still a few streaks of flour showing. Add the chocolate chips and stir by hand to combine until there are no flour streaks. 

Divide evenly between the three pans and bake for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool on a rack, then remove from the 

While the cake is baking, mix up your buttercream and ganache. For the buttercream, whip the butter with a mixer until it is light and fluffy (3-5 minutes!), adding the confectioners' sugar and cocoa in a few batches, then add the remaining ingredients. Adjust with confectioners' sugar or heavy cream to get the consistency that you want. This is a slightly thicker buttercream which is perfect for a layered cake. 

For the ganache, heat the cream in a saucepan or microwave until hot, pour over the chocolate chips (in a heatproof bowl) and allow to sit for a minute. Then mix until combined. Set aside. 

To assemble the cake, level each layer as needed. Put a dollop of frosting on the plate to hold your layers in place, no sliding cakes here! Put down the first layer of cake, top with frosting and level, more cake, more frosting, more cake, more frosting. Utilize a piping bag with a cake icing tip (Wilton is #789) or an offset spatula to smooth the frosting. Pool the ganache on top of the cake and allow to drip down. You can leave the drips, or do as I did and smooth that out. Decorate with chocolate chips, sprinkles, chocolate, other things, it is up to you! 

This cake is a moist, rich, chocolate lovers dream!