I made this cake for Jon for his birthday. It turned out to be yummy — but in the middle of making it I was not so sure that it would be good. I’m not saying that it looked pretty (I’ll have to get tips on doing ganache from Pastry Girl!) but it tasted really good. And now I’m done baking until I don’t know when. 🙂

Jon’s Birthday Cake

1.Make a chocolate cake (use 2, 9-inch pans). I used a mix and added 1/4 t. cinnamon to the dry ingredients and baked it according to the directions on the box. When the cakes are cooled, slice each in half lengthwise with dental floss or a long knife.

2. Make the Mocha-Chocolate Cream Filling and Coffee Liqueur Ganache Icing and assemble with the cooled cakes.

Mocha-Chocolate Cream Filling
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
2 tablespoons instant coffee, without water
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mocha Chocolate Cream Filling:.
Whisk together first 4 ingredients in a small saucepan.
Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, 5 minutes or until thickened.
Spoon mixture into a small bowl; cover surface of mixture with plastic wrap, pressin wrap onto surface, and let stand 30 minutes or until cool.
Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Gradually add cooled cocoa mixture, 1 Tablespoon at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
Add vanilla, beating until mixture is consistency of whipped cream.
Makes 1-1/2 cups.

Coffee Liqueur Ganache Icing
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate squares, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups whipping cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons coffee liqueur (Kahlua)

Coffee Liqueur Ganache Icing:.
Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium heat just until cream begins to boil.
Pour over chocolate in bowl, stirring until smooth.
Stir in butter and liqueur.
Let stand 45 minutes or until spreading consistency.
Makes 2 cups.

Assemble the cake:
Place 1 cake layer on serving plate; spread top with 4 Tablespoons Coffee liqueur Ganache Icing.
Spread 1/3 of Mocha-Chocolate Cream Filling evenly over ganache on cake layer.
Top with second cake layer; spread top with 4 Tablespoons of Ganache Icing and 1/3 Mocha-Chocolate Cream Filling.
Top with third cake layer; spread top with 4 Tablespoons of Ganache Icing and 1/3 Mocha-Chocolate Cream Filling.
Top with final cake layer.
Spread remanining Coffee Liqueur Ganache Icing on top of cake and sides of cake.
Garnish with chocolate curls, if desired.