*  Exported from  MasterCook  *

                              Black Out Cake

Recipe By     :
Serving Size  : 1    Preparation Time :0:00
Categories    : Cakes                            Desserts

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
                        Cake:
     3/4   c            Butter -- softened
   3       ts           Baking soda
   3       c            Sugar
   3                    Eggs
     1/2   ts           Salt
     3/4   c            Buttermilk
   1 1/3   c            Water -- boiling
   4       oz           Unsweetned chocolate -- melted
   3       c            Flour
     3/4   c            Almonds -- roasted, chopped
   2       ts           Vanilla extract
                        Chocolate Ganache:
  18       oz           Semisweet chocolate chips (3 c)
   1 1/2   c            Heavy cream
   1       ts           Vanilla
   2       tb           Butter -- cut up

  Preheat oven to 350°F. grease two 9" round cake pans. Dust with
  flour, tap out excess.

  In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar with electric mixer
  or medium speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add eggs
  and vanilla and beat until well blended. Add chocolate and beat 1
  to 2 minutes.

  Mix together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to chocolate mixture
  in two additions alternately with buttermilk. Beat until well
  blended. With mixer on low speed, add boiling water and beat until
  smooth. Batter will be thin. Pour batter into prepared pans.

  Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the
  center comes out clean. Let cool in pans 10 minutes, then unmold
  onto racks and let cool completely.

  Chocolate Ganache:

  In a 2 qt glass measure, combine chocolate chips and heavy cream.
  Heat in a microwave oven on HIGH 3 minutes, or until melted and
  smooth when stirred. Stir in butter and vanilla.

  Cover and refrigerate 1 hour, or until ganache holds its shape and
  is thick enough to spread on cake.

  Cover a cake layer with a little more than 1/3rd of chocolate
  ganache. Set second layer on top. Frost top and sides of cake with
  remaining ganache. Press almonds into side of cake. Refrigerate
  cake 3 to 4 hours, or until ganache is firm, before serving.
 

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