Mama Huang's Cookbook

This recipe is for sandwiching and covering cakes. Because of its high chocolate content, it can safely be left at room temperature for a few days. Right after it is freshly mixed it is thin enough to pour on cakes for coating. After a few hours of resting, it will set in a perfect consistency for sandwiching, covering, piping and decorating cakes. If refrigerated, ganache will be hard like butter, and can be rolled into  truffles. A cake that has been covered with ganache , then refrigerated till hard, is ready for covering with rolling fondant.

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 pints  heavy whipping cream (usually sold in pints or quarts)
36 oz of dark chocolate, cut into small pieces (an OK and easy substitute is
semi-sweet mini chocolate chips).
7 oz butter (2 sticks minus 2 T) cut into small pieces, at room temperature.

Method:

Put chocolate  in a large bowl.
Bring the cream to a boil, removing from heat after it has boiled for a few seconds.
Pour cream onto the chocolate  and whisk till melted.
Add butter pieces and mix till melted.
Cover and let sit at room temperature.

This recipe was used to make the digger cake for Elijah’s 3rd birthday (along with Dark Chocolate Ganache, for coating).

This recipe will make a  20″ x 12″ x 1″ sheet cake, or
two  9″ x 13″ x 1″  cakes , or
three 10″ x 1″  rounds

Ingredients:

1 1/2 C (3 sticks) unsalted butter
12 oz dark chocolate (small chopped pieces or you can use semisweet mini chocolate chips)
1 1/2 C brown sugar, packed
5 large eggs, at room temp  (Since egg sizes vary a lot these days, the 5 eggs should weigh                                                      between 9 and 9.5 oz)
1/3 C cake flour
1 1/3 C self-raising flour
1 t baking soda
1 1/4 t baking powder
1/2 C cocoa powder
2 t instant coffee powder/crystals
1 C + 2 T milk

Method:

Grease and flour cake pan(s).
Preheat oven to 338 deg F (between 325 and 350 deg)
Mix all powder ingredients, put aside.
Put chocolate and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl.
Heat butter to boiling, add to chocolate and brown sugar and stir till chocolate is melted.
Add eggs and stir till smooth.
Add powder ingredients in 3 parts, stir after each addition till mixed in.
Add milk and stir till smooth.
Pour into pan(s).
Bake 30 mins, or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.