It’s birthday season here. With five boys, birthdays are always a bit dramatic, and this year two of them share the same day — eight years apart — which meant double the planning, double the opinions, and double the cake negotiation.
Fortunately, the food choices were simple: one wanted fried chicken, another wanted chicken nuggets (which I made from boneless, skinless chicken thighs using the same coating as the fried chicken). The younger child reluctantly agreed to let the older have fruit salad even though he claims he doesn’t “wike fwoot.” Then came the cake talks.
How complicated does a cake need to be? Apparently very. One wanted vanilla with strawberry layers, the other wanted chocolate. Then chocolate-and-mint came up, then mint was rejected. Eventually they agreed on two cakes, and finally settled on a single, large chocolate-and-vanilla swirl cake covered in rich ganache.
Swirl cakes are familiar territory — I’ve made zebra cakes before — but this time the swirl had to be moist and stand-alone, not dry like ice-cream-layer cakes I’ve made in the past. That meant bringing in plenty of butter and making a proper, tender layer cake. And of course, finishing it with ganache.
Quick note on ganache: it’s simply equal parts heavy cream and chocolate, warmed and combined into a glossy chocolate spread. Left to chill, ganache firms up enough to shape into truffles, stir into hot milk, or spread between layers. For this cake, the ganache becomes the luxurious frosting that both contrasts and complements the buttery, vanilla-and-chocolate swirled layers.
So yes: a big, buttery layer cake dressed in dark chocolate ganache. Not exactly diet food, but perfect for a household full of hungry boys. Below is the recipe and instructions for making a moist Chocolate-Vanilla Swirl Layer Cake finished with ganache — ideal for birthdays or any celebration.
Chocolate Vanilla Swirl Layer Cake with Ganache
Rebecca Lindamood
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons separated
- 1 1/2 cups cake flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks butter softened to room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups fine or superfine sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups whole milk warmed to room temperature plus 4 tablespoons, separated
- 2 level tablespoons dark cocoa powder
For the ganache:
- 16 ounces 2 cups heavy cream
- 16 ounces chopped dark chocolate or bittersweet chocolate
- Optional for garnish:
- Melted white chocolate for drizzling
Instructions
To Bake the Cake:
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Preheat oven to 325°F.
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Butter and flour two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans.
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Whisk together the flours, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
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Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
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Add the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each and scraping the bowl. Stir in the vanilla.
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Add about one-third of the milk, mix, then one-third of the flour, mixing to combine.
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Repeat until all the milk and flour are incorporated, scraping as needed.
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Divide the batter equally between two bowls. To one bowl add 2 tablespoons milk and the extra 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; whisk until smooth.
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To the other bowl whisk in the cocoa powder and the remaining 2 tablespoons of milk until smooth.
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To create swirls, spoon about 1/3 cup of white batter into the center of each prepared pan, then 1/3 cup of chocolate batter into the center of the white. Continue alternating white and chocolate batter into the center, forming concentric circles until the batter is used.
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Bake about 35 minutes, rotating pans midway, or until a tester comes out clean.
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Cool in the pans on a rack for 5 minutes, then turn out to finish cooling completely.
To Make the Ganache:
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Heat the heavy cream just until it’s about to boil. Pour over the chopped chocolate in a heat-proof bowl and let sit for 5 minutes. Whisk gently in one direction until glossy and smooth. Let cool at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
To Assemble and Frost the Cake:
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Level the fully cooled cakes and cut each into two even layers.
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Place one layer on a cake plate and spread a layer of ganache to the edges. Repeat with remaining layers.
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Frost the top and sides with the remaining ganache. Chill for 10 minutes if needed, then use ganache to fill any uneven spots.
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Optional: drizzle melted white chocolate over the top for decoration.
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Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before slicing.
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Store leftovers tightly covered in the refrigerator.
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate with your own ingredients if desired.
Happy birthday to my sweet bookends.
My Chocolate and my Vanilla…
Am I the luckiest mom in the world or what?