Rich pound cake layers with delicious fluffy frosting and a rich whipped chocolate ganache.
I don’t know what it is, but when I travel for a weekend, I always have a million different bags. Maybe I just should take 1 big bag and call it a day? I just try so hard to be an efficient and minimalist traveler (ha!).
What if I want to workout? Sneakers. Are we going out to a nice dinner? Heels (maybe). Do I want to look pretty? Makeup. Work to do? Computer (always). Are we celebrating something? Gifts.
Am I supposed to bring some sort of dessert? Wait, that’s not actually a question. Do I want to blog about it? Camera (woops!). I am thankful for my iPhone!
I don’t really go anywhere without some sort of sweet treat, because frankly, I’ll be sent back from where I came if I don’t! For Mother’s Day weekend, however, I was a little behind on my baking. So instead of a finished product, I traveled with cake layers. Completely normal, right? Probably not, but you know what, it was worth it.
I’m actually a huge fan of pound cake. I very rarely make it but when I saw this cake from Michelle a few weeks ago, I was completely inspired to translate her recipe into a layer cake. It did not disappoint!
Since it was Mother’s Day, I knew the cake needed plenty of chocolate. The moist and dense (perfect pound cake texture!) cake layers were filled with chocolate chips and the outside was covered with a rich whipped chocolate ganache. The filling was vanilla buttercream. I was actually experimenting with a shortening-based recipe, but next time I’d just use all butter or at least half butter instead. Okay, now I am completely craving this cake again.
- 12 ounces (1½ cups / 3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- 8 ounces regular cream cheese
- 1 pound 6½ ounces granulated sugar (~3 cups)
- 6 eggs at room temperature
- 11½ ounces (~3 cups) cake flour, sifted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 ounces (~1 cup) mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup shortening
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pound semi-sweet chocolate, roughly chopped
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees; grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans; line bottoms of pans with parchment paper and grease and flour the parchment paper; set aside
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until light and creamy; add sugar and beat mixture until light and fluffy; scrape the sides of the bowl
- Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on medium speed between each one until incorporated; mix in vanilla on medium speed until combined and then scrape the sides of the bowl
- With mixer on low, slowly add the flour and the salt just until combined; do not overmix
- Remove bowl from mixer and fold in chocolate chips
- Pour batter into prepared baking pans and bake 40-50 minutes or until a knife comes out clean from center of each layer; edges will brown slightly; do not overbake
- Set aside cake to cool and prepare filling and ganache
- Once cake has cooled, carefully remove layers from pans; run a knife around the edge of each layer for easier removal
- Frost bottom layer with filling and top with second cake layer; frost entire outside of cake with whipped ganache
- Beat shortening in electric mixer on high speed for several minutes until light and creamy; add powdered sugar and mix on low for one minute; scrape sides of the bowl and add vanilla; beat on high speed until light and fluffy; use immediately or covered in refrigerator up to five days; bring to room temperature before using
- Place chocolate in a large heat-safe bowl and set aside
- Pour cream into a medium heavy duty sauce-pan and place over medium heat; bring to boil and remove immediately
- Pour hot cream over chocolate, add salt, and let stand for 10 minutes
- Whisk mixture until smooth
- Chill ganache in refrigerator for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until ganache is thick in texture but not hard
- Once chilled, put ganache in the bowl of an electric mixer; beat on high speed for about four minutes or until light and fluffy and paler in color
- Use immediately
Whipped Ganache Frosting from Martha Stewart
Cake layers can be made ahead of time; wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for one day or in freezer up to one month
Once frosted, serve immediately; cake can be stored in refrigerator up to two days covered lightly with plastic wrap; bring to room temperature before serving
Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.
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I love that thick chocolate frosting!
Never too much frosting:-)
ohmaaaagawwwd. Looooove this. Best poundcake ever (um whipped chocolate ganache? Yes pleeease!)
I feel like I always have a million bags also! Even when I really make a concerted effort to pack light. What is THAT about?
I love that you turned pound cake into a layer cake. It’s so much more crave-worthy this way!
YUM. I wish I could travel with food. I’d like to bring farm fresh eggs to my mom this weekend, but I have a feeling TSA wouldn’t like that.
I bet if you bribed them with some of your amazing sweets they would let it slide:-)
Haha oh my gosh you traveled with cake layers? That’s hilarious! Although I’m thinking of mixing up the dry ingredients for a brownie pie I want to make this weekend while I am away so I guess it’s not that weird!
Such a good idea… and in my world, definitely not weird!
How cute that you traveled with cake layers! You can bring me some any time you’d like to visit. I bet your mom was just thrilled:) So pretty, Lauren!
I would definitely do that for you, Lora:-)
Pound cake is wonderful, I LOVE pound cakes in any shape and flavors!
This recipe is just too yummy & sinful!!
I will definitely be putting it in my keeper file.
I love pound cake too and never make it because it doesn’t usually seem as ‘fun’ as other desserts. I love that you put the kabosh on that notion!! Looks amazing!
Oh my! This is divine! I love ganache :)
That ganache sounds sooo good! And that cake too!
Wow, Lauren, this is one gorgeous cake! I always travel with some of my baked goods, so I can indulge too while we’re away, but I’ve never traveled with full cake layers!
Thank you! And kind of wish I could have sampled some of your baked goods last weekend!
you can travel my way with cake layers anytime!
Deal!
Traveling with cake layer should be mandatory – the world would be a much happier place. :D
This cake…I’m in love! Cream cheese and chocolate! Be still my heart!