Chocolate Genoise Frosted with Ganache

Ingredients

For Cake:

• 7 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and lukewarm
• 3/4 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
• 3/4 cup SCHARFFEN BERGER natural unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For Frosting:

• 1 cup heavy cream
  
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  
• 1 (9.7 ounce) bar SCHARFFEN BERGER 62% semisweet chocolate, finely chopped*
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter two 9- by 1 1/2-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom of the pans with parchment or waxed paper. Butter the paper. Dust the pans with cocoa powder and shake out excess.

To make the cake: With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla in a large deep bowl for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and pale and has increased in volume at least 4 times. Reduce the speed to low, slowly pour in the butter, and beat just until combined well.

Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Sift the flour mixture, one-quarter at a time, over the egg mixture, and gently fold in with a whisk or a rubber spatula between each addition.

Divide the batter evenly between the two pans. Bake for about 25 minutes, or just until the cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Run a table knife around the edges of the pans, invert the cakes onto the racks, remove the parchment paper, and let cool completely.

To make the frosting: Bring the cream, sugar, and butter just to a boil over medium heat in a medium heavy saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat, add the chocolate, and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the vanilla. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate for about 2 hours, until firm enough to spread.

With a long serrated knife, cut each cake layer in half horizontally. Place the bottom half of one layer, cut side up, on a serving plate. Spread about 1/3 cup of ganache on top of the cake with a long thin metal spatula. Add a second layer of cake, rounded side up, and spread with 1/3 cup ganache. Repeat with remaining layers to make 4 layers of cake and 3 layers of ganache. Spread ganache around the side of the cake and frost the top of the cake with the remaining ganache.

Serve cut into wedges.

*Note: If you can't find the specific chocolate called for, you can substitute another chocolate with about the same intensity-the higher the percent of cacao solids (labeled as % cacao) in a bar, the more intense the chocolate flavor. Bars labeled simply as bittersweet, semisweet or dark can be used in any recipe calling for any recipe calling for chocolate of less than 70% cacao.