This Jezebel Chocolate Cake is far from angelic. Two words sum up this cake: unapologetic-ly intense. Moist chocolate cake pairs with a mega hit of silky chocolate ganache frosting. Any remaining guilt is smothered by brownies done two ways: one in the form of brownie topping and the other in the form of brownie batter filling.
Sometimes you need to break down and have THAT cake. You know, that chocolate cake that’s been eyeing you from afar, prying at your dreams while you sleep.
No fruity, floral, or fluffy cake can will do. Nothing but THAT cake will fill the void. You need chocolate in the form of fudgey, moist, dense, and intense forkfuls that lead to a second slice of cake.
Jezebel Chocolate Cake was a suitable name for this colossal and in-your-face cake. This cake has the same qualities as the biblical namesake. Like Jezebel, this cake is forceful and draws you in with brute intensity.
Here’s the breakdown of the Jezebel Chocolate Cake. First the cake. Oil, sour cream, and coffee makes the cake moist, while the butter makes the cake tender.
At the base of the cake, I used a thick layer of eggless brownie batter. The proceeding cake layers were sandwiched with that intense ganache. Ganache makes a comeback on the outside. I’m not ashamed. Yes, I used 32 ounces of chocolate to make this chocolate ganache. Am I’m shackled with guilt? No!
Be careful transporting this cake in and out of the refrigerator, it’s a solid 10 + pounds of chocolate goodness.
And there it is—Jezebel Chocolate Cake, in all of its glory! If your hunger lusts to be satiated, the Jezebel Chocolate Cake should surly suffocate those chocolate cravings!
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- For the Intense Chocolate Cake:
- 2 cups strong coffee
- 1 cup (2 sticks, 8 ounces) unsalted butter
- 1 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
- 1 1/3 cups sour cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- For the Brownie Batter Filling:
- 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 to 3 tablespoons milk
- For the Chocolate Ganache Frosting:
- 32 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips, roughly chopped
- 1 quart (4 cups) heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- For the Classic Fudge Frosting Top:
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- pinch of fine salt
- ¼ cup (½ stick, 2 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 to 3 tablespoons milk
- For assembling the Jezebel Chocolate Cake:
- Brownies cut into small cubes
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
- 2 to 3 chocolate, bars cut into triangles
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 4 8-inch cake pans with baking spray.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat coffee and butter until the butter melts and the mixture comes to just a boil. Remove from heat. Add the cocoa powders. Whisk until mixture is lump free. Cool for 5 minutes.
- Whisk together the flour, sugars, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour the coffee-cocoa mixture into the center, whisking until mostly combined.
- In a small bowl whisk oil, eggs, and egg yolk. Add to the flour mixture. Stir in the sour cream, followed by the vanilla.
- Divide evenly between prepared pans, tapping against the counter to remove air bubbles. Bake, rotating halfway, for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool pans on wire rack then invert cakes on the rack to cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- Melt chocolate in a microwave safe bowl, 30 seconds at a time, until smooth.
- Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl, set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on a medium speed until smooth and lump free. Scrape the bowls and bottom of the bowl down. On a low speed, add the melted chocolate, followed by the vanilla. Slowly add in dry ingredients. If the batter looks too thick add some milk, a tablespoon at a time. The filling should have the consistency of a very thick, but spreadable, buttercream.
- Place chopped chocolate in a large bowl, set aside. In a 4-quart sauce pan over medium heat, bring heavy cream and corn syrup to a simmer. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla. Pour cream mixture over the chocolate.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap, let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes. Remove plastic wrap, whisk ganache until it is smooth. Cover again with plastic wrap, refrigerate for 30 minutes. Remove from refrigerator and stir. Repeat this process until the ganache has thickened and cooled down, about 2 hours.
- Sift cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and salt together in a medium bowl, set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth (because it’s such little butter, be sure not to scratch the inside of the mixing bowl), about 30 seconds. Add the vanilla. Scrape down sides and bottom of the bowl. Turn speed to low and slowly add the sifted dry ingredients. If the mixture is looking too thick, add milk a tablespoon at a time. You want a smooth, not runny, consistency and a deep fudgey color.
- If cakes have domes, use a serrated knife to level off the tops. Spread a dollop of ganache onto the base of a cake board. Place the first layer, spread the bronwie batter filling. Top with the second layer and spread some of the ganache. Repeat with the third layer. Top with the final fourth layer. Chill in the freezer for 30 minutes. Frost with the ganache. Chill. Top with the Chocolate Fudge Frosting. Decorate with mini chocolate chips on the sides. Garnish with chocolate and brownie pieces.