Name: Chocolate Ganache Cake
Prep time: 35 min
Yield: 16
Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature; 2/3 cup granulated sugar; 1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar; 5 eggs; 1 can (16 ounces) chocolate syrup; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon almond extract; 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour; 1/8 teaspoon salt; 1 cup heavy cream; 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder; 1 tablespoon almond-flavored liqueur (optional); 1/2 pound semisweet chocolate, chopped; 3/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted, for garnish

Cake:

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
5 eggs
1 (16 ounces) chocolate syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt

Ganache:

1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1 tablespoon almond-flavored liqueur (optional)
1/2 pound semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted, for garnish

Directions

Cake:

1 of 3 Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Coat 9 x 2-inch-round cake pan (straight sided) with nonstick spray. Line bottom with waxed paper; coat paper.
2 of 3 Beat butter in large bowl on medium-high until fluffy, 1 minute. Add both sugars; beat 3 minutes, until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add syrup and vanilla and almond extracts; beat 1 minute. On low, beat in flour, salt; beat on medium 1 minute. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3 of 3 Bake in 325 degrees F oven 55 to 60 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cake cool in pan on rack 15 minutes. Turn cake out onto rack; remove paper. Cool completely. (Keep cake bottom-side up. Cake can be frozen, tightly wrapped, for up to 1 month.)

Ganache:

1 of 5 Bring cream to a boil in saucepan. Stir in espresso to dissolve. Stir in almond liqueur, if using.
2 of 5 Place chocolate in medium-size bowl. Pour hot cream mixture over top; let stand 1 minute. Stir until very smooth. Cover; refrigerate until good spreading consistency, 45 minutes.
3 of 5 Place cooled cake on wire rack placed over baking pan. (The smooth bottom becomes the topdo not turn it right-side up.) Spread ganache over sides. Then pour ganache over the top of the cake. Spread the ganache evenly over the top.
4 of 5 Before ganache sets, gently press almonds onto the sides of the cake, using enough almonds to just cover the sides. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
5 of 5 To serve, let cake come to room temperature. Note: Toast almonds on a baking sheet in 350 degrees F oven 10 minutes.

Nutrition Information for Chocolate Ganache Cake
Servings Per Recipe: 16
Per Serving: 2 g fiber, 62 mg sodium, 21 g Fat, total, 102 mg chol., 11 g sat. fat, 383 kcal cal., 6 g pro., 46 g carb.