Chocolate Heart Attack Cake for my blog’s birthday!
A milestone has been reached–this blog has officially hit the one year mark! Blogiversary? Birthday? Whatever you want to call it, I’m thankful for all of you, my readers, as I never would have thought this site would be what it is today and I couldn’t have done it without you (seriously, if you go back and look at some of the early stuff…lol, yikes). And this includes the quiet readers out there (chime in! You practically have to wish me a happy whatever this occasion is called in the comments 
). So I just wanted to say thanks–this would be no fun (well, a lot less fun, I guess) if I were just talking to myself. So how to celebrate? With cake, of course. Very very very very very chocolatey, rich, mouth-watering cake.
Truth be told, I also made this because my wife had been asking for a chocolate dessert (and cake). I chanced upon an absolutely amazing looking cake, and its a rare thing that I follow a recipe so closely, but you take a look at that and tell me if there’s a thing about that you would change? I didn’t think so. The sheer amount of seductive chocolate in this dessert seemed like it would make up for lost time and hold her over until the next chocolate dessert.
Starting from the bottom up: a crisp, crumbly, buttery brownie base, a fluffy, sweet, chocolate mousse filling, a light-as-air, dark chocolate cake, and finally, a dense, rich chocolate ganache frosting. Each bite of this was any chocolate lovers dream. All that’s missing is a sidecar scoop of chocolate ice cream (and a candle stuck in the slice for this momentous occasion–woops!), but hey, maybe another time, right? There definitely will be another time.
- Brownie
- 5/8 cup flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3 oz bittersweet chocolate
- 6 Tbsp butter
- 1 1/8 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Chocolate Cake
- 2 oz bittersweet chocolate
- 1/8 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup hot water
- 7/8 cups sugar
- 7/8 cups flour
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 6 Tbsp butter
- Chocolate Mousse
- 6 oz bittersweet chocolate
- 1 7/8 cups heavy cream
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- Ganache
- 1.5 cups heavy cream
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 18 oz bittersweet chocolate
Brownie
Preheat the oven to 325 °F. Grease a 9 inch round cake pan, fit it with a cut-out round of parchment paper, and grease that as well (this makes removing the brownie in one piece a lot easier later).
In a bowl, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder. Set this aside for now.
In a bowl, microwave the chocolate chunks and butter for 30 seconds, stir, and repeat in 15 second increments until the chocolate is totally melted down.
Then, whisk in the sugar followed by the eggs, one at a time until totally incorporated. Work in the vanilla extract and finally, add the dry flour mixture in two batches, mixing until fully combined.
Pour this batter into the greased pan and bake it for 25-30 minutes or until a tester in the center comes out fairly clean. Let this cool for a while.
Chocolate Cake
If you have multiple 9 inch cake pans, you could this at the same time as the brownie base. If not (I really ought to buy another one!), just wait until the brownie base is done so you can re-use that pan. Whatever the case, again, the oven ought to be preheated to 325 °F and a 9 inch cake pan should be greased and have a cut out round of parchment paper pressed against the bottom to make for easy cake removal later.
In a double boiler (bowl suspended over a pan of simmering water where the bowl is not making direct physical contact with the water), melt the chocolate chunks, cocoa powder, and hot water, stirring with some regularity to prevent any burning or sticking. Once smooth and totally melted, mix in 1/4 cup of the sugar, stirring until nice and glossy. Remove this from heat and set it aside.
In a bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set this aside.
Mix the buttermilk and vanilla extract is yet another bowl. Set this aside as you begin your plans for tricking someone else into cleaning up after you, perhaps by bribing them with cake.
And now we can begin to bring all of these elements together. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk all of the eggs until they begin to lighten in color and then gradually pour in the sugar, mixing on higher speed until fluffed up and well mixed (figure 2-3 minutes whisking). Swap out the whisk attachment for the paddle and pour in the chocolate mixture, mixing until totally incorporated.
Add the softened butter, broken up into small chunks and beat them in briefly. Now, work in alternating batches: add a third of the flour mixture, mix until incorporated, add half of the buttermilk mixture, mix, and repeat until you’ve emptied both bowls.
Pour the batter into your prepared cake pan and bake this for 30 minutes or until a tester comes out fairly clean. Let this cool for a bit.
Chocolate Mousse
This is probably old hat by now: melt down the chocolate chunks. Whether you’re using the microwave or the double boiler is irrelevant–just melt the chocolate down and set it aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the cream and sugar until stiff peaks form. Then, scoop out about a quarter of your whipped cream and mix it into the melted chocolate to lighten that up a bit. Once well mixed, gently fold the remaining whipped cream into the mixture, folding only as much as is necessary to get this fairly homogenous (you don’t want to beat the air and fluffiness out of the whipped cream).
Once totally mixed, set this bowl of mousse aside in the fridge.
Putting it all together
Now that the three major cake components are done, you can start putting things together. Plate the brownie base and spread the mousse evenly over the brownie almost all the way to the edge. Carefully place the cake on top of this and gently press it down. Chill this for an hour to let the cake firm up a bit as one unit.
While the cake is chilling, you need to prepare the last component: the ganache. For some reason, this was the first time I ever prepared a ganache that siezed up on me (where it looks slightly sloshy and oily), so I rescued it by briefly freezing it and stirring it regularly until it firmed up, then transferring it to the fridge (next time, I might opt for a more familiar ganache recipe that has never done me wrong). Ideally, you won’t have the same experience. Because of my experience and the fact that I was tired, I didn’t bother reserving any ganache for decorating the cake like the inspiration for this cake (Shawnda did a beautiful job). Anyways, enough babbling about the ganache–you ought to make it now.
Bring the cream and butter to a boil. Spread the chocolate chunks out in a bowl and pour the hot cream over it. Give things a stir as the heat melts the chocolate down. Stir until smooth and then set this aside so it can chill down to room temperature while you wait for your cake to finish chilling.
Once the time has come, simply slather the ganache all over the cake, working from the top center, spreading it in circles and smoothing out the excess as it slowly pools down the sides of the cake. Smooth things out as best you can.
At this point, if you’re good as decorating cakes, you should you know, do that. This isn’t a strong area for me, so this is where I stop and present a delicious, boring looking cake, lol.
After all this hard work, its time for you to dig in. Just try to remember to breathe between bites. Its easy to inhale this!
Woo hoo, one year down, and hopefully many more to come! Enjoy!
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August 27th, 2008 at 1:05 am
Happy Happy Blogiversary!
And that cake should be called “The last time I saw my Waist!”!!! LOL! Fantastic!
August 27th, 2008 at 2:53 am
Hey gorgeous! Happy Blog birthday - yes this is giving me a heart attack that’s for sure but I am used to it coming here. Mike - love your recipes your style and your blog. Look forward to much more in the future. Keep up the great work!
August 27th, 2008 at 3:45 am
Happy blog birthday! That looks like an intense cake alright!
August 27th, 2008 at 4:18 am
Happy Happy Blog Birthday! With sinfully delicious chocolates like this, you will surely have more blogs to come!
August 27th, 2008 at 5:11 am
congratulations on your 1st year… may you have lots more… what a sinful way of celebrating… yum…
August 27th, 2008 at 5:59 am
Happy blog birthday! Well done Mike - keep up the good work!
August 27th, 2008 at 6:09 am
Happy bloganniversary Mike!!! When I saw the name of the cake I just knew I would LOVE it! That’s my kind of cake, the ones that gives you a heart attack, lol! It looks great and the perfect way to celebrate!
August 27th, 2008 at 6:22 am
Happy Blog birthday!!! Here’s to the next year!
Your cake has me drooling…
August 27th, 2008 at 7:42 am
Happy blogiversary, Mike — it’s no small accomplishment to maintain a blog for a year! Here’s to Year Two at Mike’s Table.
August 27th, 2008 at 7:53 am
I think I’m going to have the heart attack. Just came over a friend’s blog reading her decadent chocolate birthday cake and now I am reading an even more decadent recipe. All that chocolate is driving me crazy. I’m a chocoholic. I began blogging last year early September so my blogaversary is coming soon. Happy blogaversary, blogoversary or blogiversary whichever you choose.
August 27th, 2008 at 7:58 am
Happy 1st Birthday Blog to you! Keep up the great cookin, and all the hard work that goes with this. I enjoy the great recipes, your humor that goes along with them, and the fabulous photos ,step by step too. You make me so proud. Now I know what you should make when we visit, but dark chocolate please! Mike’s Mom
August 27th, 2008 at 8:48 am
Happy blog birthday to you! Hope there’s many more to come, and the cake looks fabulous. Can I have a piece please?
August 27th, 2008 at 9:14 am
Happy BIRTHDAY! I’ve already been itching to make cake and now you post this dreamy item… mmm…
August 27th, 2008 at 9:17 am
I propped a copy of this recipe on my DH’s keyboard, as my birthday is coming up. Hint Hint.
Will let you know what happens …
I’ll make it myself if I have to!
August 27th, 2008 at 9:18 am
Happy Blog Birthday! That cake sure looks intensely yummy!
August 27th, 2008 at 9:27 am
Amazing! Triple chocolate meltdown! Happy Blogabirthday! Looking for many more fantastic recipes in the year to come! Much love, Raquel XO
August 27th, 2008 at 9:29 am
This cake definitely has my name on it, you just can’t see it!
If this how anniversaries are going to be here, then I’m really looking forward to the next one, if I’ve recovered from the heart attack, that is.
August 27th, 2008 at 10:00 am
Happy Birthday, Mike’s Blog!
I love that there isn’t egg in the mousse.
That is one amazing looking chocolate cake. I can feel my arteries clogging already
August 27th, 2008 at 11:34 am
Happy Birthday! Thank you for making me drool…over and over again! can i have a slice?
August 27th, 2008 at 11:55 am
A Big Happy Birthday to your blog Mike!
This is the type of cake that my husband would love… It’s a chocolate mousse thing. He can’t resist it. So, I am bias but I think your wife has good taste as well. Thank you for the yummy slice.
August 27th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
Happy Birthday to your very wonderful blog! Your wife is a very lucky woman.
August 27th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
YUM! Oh my glorious baking dish, this cake looks fantastic!
Happy blogiversary to you & Mike’s Table. If I had a pina colada in hand, I’d toast to another year. As it is, all I can say is, “Thanks for all the months of entertainment, inspiration and recipes. Keep it coming, Mike… I love reading your blog!”
August 27th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Congrats on a year, that cake looks like the perfect way to celebrate!
August 27th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Happy Bligiversary!!!!
I don’t know how you manage to always make exactly the type of ‘to-die-for’ goodies I’m craving….
And it’s always so out of reach. … Sigh…
Fortunatley I have a very vivid imagination!
Hope your wife was properly appreciative!
August 27th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
Well happy blogiversary to you! I must say, that chocolate cake looks mighty fine, although very, very sinful..
August 27th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
the only thing better than one layer of chocolate is two layers of chocolate. the only thing better than two layers of chocolate is three layers of chocolate. the only thing bett…okay, you get my drift. this is fabulous, and i’d savor every bite.
August 27th, 2008 at 7:26 pm
Happy Blogiversary! I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, your wife is soooo lucky!
August 27th, 2008 at 8:54 pm
Congrats on your blogiversary!!! That cake looks so incredible…I wish I had a birthday or something coming up to justify making this!
August 27th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
I hope someone makes this cake for my birthday!! Congrats!
August 28th, 2008 at 12:56 am
What a wonderful way to celebrate your anniversary. Congratulations and thanks for the great recipe!
August 28th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
Heck of a way to celebrate, huh?
Congrats on a great first year and glad you enjoyed the cake
August 28th, 2008 at 6:37 pm
happy birthday
how exciting! one year!! this cake looks delicious! …especially the frosting!
August 28th, 2008 at 7:40 pm
Congrats on a year of tasty posts! That cake looks so decadent and chocolaty and good!
August 28th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
CONGRATS MIKE…HAPPY BLOG BIRTHDAY!!! Now this is celebration in style & how! Fabulaous, decadent choice of cake…I love all the layers & the lack of egg in the mousse layer)…yum yum yum yum yum!! Cheers to you…here’s to many more years of delicious blogging!!
August 28th, 2008 at 11:34 pm
Happy bloggy bday! That’s terrific that you’ve survived the first year… your blog is awesome. The cake looks completely decadent and delicious.
Thanks for sending me a message about the jam jars!
August 29th, 2008 at 8:00 am
There’s nothing boring about this cake! It looks utterly amazing!
Happy Blogiversary, Mike! Many happy returns! You’ve done a great job with this site and I always enjoy visiting.
August 30th, 2008 at 11:00 am
Mouthwatering indeed! Happy blog anniversary!
Love all the layers, combining them has to create synergy!
August 31st, 2008 at 12:38 am
Happy Blogoversary Mike! Heres to another year of great food, and great posts! Keep it up! Hey, can you ship a piece of that cake out to Chicago, ASAP!!!
August 31st, 2008 at 9:08 am
Happy Blog Birthday Mike!
Wow, what a cake, I am going to copy this one and have a go, it looks sumptous
September 1st, 2008 at 12:09 am
happy birthday! that cake looks absolutely fabulous. your photos are incredible as well! mail me some leftovers?
September 1st, 2008 at 9:59 am
Happy birthday to your blog! This looks like a great way to celebrate. Yum!
September 4th, 2008 at 3:55 am
Congrats on your first year. Your cakes looks awesome. I’m dying to make it once. Great work!!
September 4th, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Congratulations, Mike!!! The first year is always special and what a perfectly decadent cake. You blog continues to be inspiring, interesting and drool-worthy. I love your blog!! I only wish I had more time to peruse it.
September 6th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
Happy Blog Anniversary. I wish you many more years.
September 8th, 2008 at 11:07 am
Happy Belated Blog Anniversary! Keep up the great work!
September 12th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
Happy belated blog anniversary! What a fabulous cake…oh to dive in all that chocolate goodness!
September 12th, 2008 at 7:43 pm
The Google ad after this recipe at the moment says “5 tips for a flat stomach” lol
Thanks for this recipe the cake looks amazing! Happy blog anniversary!