Ganache Cake with Buttercream

Ingredients

• Almonds for decoration
• Strawberries for topping
• Cake batter:
• 6 eggs with lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon liquid vanilla extract
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup milk
• 3 cups flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• Chocolate ganache:
• 150 ml heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 squares or pieces of chocolate
• Buttercream:
• 150 g unsalted butter at room temperature
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• For more of Rana's cakes see Macaron Cake

Method

1. Start by preparing the cake batter. Whisk the eggs and lemon zest well.
2. Add the sugar and beat well until you obtain a pale, fluffy mixture.
3. Next add the oil and milk and beat to combine.
4. Sift the flour and baking powder and fold them into the batter by hand.
5. Divide the batter into two pans or cake molds greased with butter and dusted with flour.
6. Bake the cake layers until done, monitoring to avoid overbaking.
7. Prepare the ganache: put all ganache ingredients in a saucepan over heat and stir until the chocolate melts.
8. Prepare the buttercream: beat the butter, eggs, powdered sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth and combined.
9. When the cake has cooled, cut each layer in half to obtain 4 layers and begin filling with buttercream between the layers.
10. Stack the layers of the ganache cake with buttercream on top of each other.
11. Decorate the sides with almonds as desired and the top with strawberries, then pour the ganache over the top.
12. Refrigerate the ganache cake with buttercream for several hours to set and cool before serving.