Chocolate Truffle Cake for my Birthday

Birthdays always get me excited, especially one in the family or among close friends and of course mine. The midnight wishes, gifts, surprises, calls from friends you haven't been in touch with, the birthday cake...there's so much to look forward to.

I celebrated mine this week and it was a wonderful day spent with family and friends. The best part of the day was the gift from Manoj...an Icecream Maker!! I've been thinking of buying one for so long now, so this was just the perfect gift. Can't wait to use it.

I've never baked a cake for my birthday, we usually just get one from a bakery near our home. But last month I borrowed the Ghirardelli chocolate book from the library and I've been looking at all those amazing recipes and pictures and drooling over them ever since. Just thought I'd wait for my birthday to indulge myself. I wanted something intensely chocolaty and this truffle cake satisfied all my cravings.

The recipe for the cake has been adapted minimally from The Ghirardelli Chocolate Cookbook. I increased the recipe by half to get three layers. The cake by itself, was moist and delicious, and doesn't really need any icing. So if you're looking for a plain chocolate cake, this is a must try. Add the chocolate truffle and you're in Chocolate Heaven!!

Chocolate Truffle Cake

Ingredients:

For the cake:

4 oz semisweet chocolate

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup dark brown sugar, tightly packed

1 tbs honey

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 extra large eggs, beaten

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup whole milk

For the soaking syrup:

1 cup water

1/4 cup sugar
2 tbs rum

For the truffle:

400 gms semisweet chocolate

300 ml cream

4 tbs unsalted butter

Method:

Preheat oven to 325 degree F.

Butter and line two 9" round cake pans and line with parchment paper.

Melt the chocolate, butter, sugar and honey over a double boiler and mix till smooth. Set aside.

Sift together the flour, cocoa and baking soda. Gently mix in the chocolate mixture. Add the eggs, vanilla and milk and beat with a spoon until well blended.

Divide the mixture between the two pans.

Bake for 25-30 mins until firm to the touch. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks. When cool, turn out of the pans.

To make the soaking syrup, dissolve the sugar in the water and stir in the rum.

For the chocolate truffle, heat the cream till you see bubbles in the sides. Take off from heat and pour over the chocolate. Stir till the chocolate has melted, then add the butter and mix till smooth and well combined. [U can start licking the sauce at this point...BLISS!! Between the three of us all our spoons were in the sink:) ]. The truffle will thicken as it sits. For piping designs you may have to refrigerate it to get the right consistency.

To assemble the cake, soak one layer with one third of the syrup and top with the truffle. Repeat with all the layers, frost the sides of the cake and then the top. Decorate as desired and keep covered in the fridge.