A Very Rich Dessert

Fat Man's Chocolate Cake

Actually that's not the original name for this cake; but after you taste it, you will see why I've named it that.

Chocolate Cake:
1½ cups all-purpose flour
⅔ cup baking cocoa
1½ cups sugar
1¼ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
2 eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract
¾ cup milk
⅔ cup hot water

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease bottoms of two 9-inch cake pans. Then place parchment paper cut to size on the bottom of each pan and then grease paper. (I didn't have 9-inch pans so I used 8-inch pans. If you don't have parchment paper, you can grease and flour pans but make sure that the flour goes up sides a bit or you will have trouble getting the cake out without breaking it up. Parchment makes it a snap.) Mix dry ingredients together in large mixing bowl. Add eggs, oil, milk and vanilla and beat until combined. Scrape down sides of bowl and add hot water and mix well. Divide batter between two prepared pans. Bake for 28-30 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes in pan. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Buttercream Frosting:
1½ cups butter, room temperature (that's what makes this so rich)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
6 cups powdered sugar
4-5 Tbsp. milk
⅔ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Beat together until fluffy.

Assembling Cake:
Trim tops off cake layers with long bread knife so the tops are flat. Discard or better yet, eat trimmings. Place one layer cut side down on platter. Crumb coat the outside of cake--take a small amount of frosting and put in separate bowl and spread very thinly around cake. Place in freezer for a few minutes to harden. This seals the chocolate crumbs so they don't pull through and show in the final layer of frosting.

Mix semi-sweet chips with 1 cup frosting. These are regular sized chips--mini might be easier to chew.

Spread frosting/chip mixture on top of bottom cake layer.

Place second previously crumb-coated layer on top.

Frost entire cake with remaining frosting, making sure to seal frosting to platter along the bottom.

Ganache:

¾ cup heavy cream

¼ cup butter

1¾ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat cream and butter in saucepan over medium heat until butter is melted. Remove before it gets to boiling point. Place chocolate chips in small bowl and pour cream-butter mixture over top. Mix until smooth.

Let cool until thickened but still pourable. Whisk occasionally to keep smooth consistency. Pour over cake, letting it drip down the sides.

 I added that little Snickers® football since it was Super Bowl Sunday.

The challenge is trying not to eat more than one piece.