Ho Ho Cake
Four thin layers of dark cocoa sponge, three bands of barely sweet cooked-flour cream, and a chocolate ganache poured over in two passes. Hot coffee in the batter deepens the cocoa without tasting of coffee, and the whole thing slices cleanest after a night in the fridge.
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake Layers
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder good quality
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature, or 1 cup milk plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 1 cup hot coffee freshly brewed, or hot water
Cooked-Flour Cream Filling
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening or more butter
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Poured Chocolate Ganache
- 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or 9 ounces chopped bar chocolate
- 1 cup heavy cream
Equipment
- Two 9-inch round cake pans
- Parchment paper
- Electric mixer
- Wire rack
- Mixing bowls
- Saucepan
- Offset spatula
- Serrated Knife
Instructions
Bake the Chocolate Layers
- Prepare the pans: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment and grease them well.
- Whisk the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Sift if the cocoa is lumpy.
- Combine and add the hot coffee last: In a second bowl, whisk the eggs until smooth, then stir in the buttermilk, oil, sour cream and vanilla. Pour the dry mixture into the wet and stir to combine, then slowly add the hot coffee and whisk until the batter is smooth and very thin. Thin is correct.
- Bake and cool completely: Divide the batter between the pans and bake 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs and the edges have pulled slightly from the sides. Cool in the pans 10 minutes, then turn out onto racks and cool completely.
Make the Cream Filling
- Cook the flour paste: In a small saucepan, whisk the flour and milk together over low heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until it thickens into a soft paste. Scrape it into a bowl, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface, and cool it to room temperature.
- Beat it light and white: Beat the sugar, butter, shortening and salt with a mixer until very light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the cooled paste a spoonful at a time. It will look curdled partway through; keep beating for a full 5 minutes until it is smooth, white and light.
Split and Stack
- Split each layer: Using a long serrated knife, slice each cooled cake layer horizontally in half so you have four thin rounds.
- Fill and stack: Set one round on a serving plate and spread a third of the filling right to the edges. Repeat with two more rounds and the remaining filling, then top with the fourth round.
- Smooth and chill: Smooth the sides where the filling has squeezed out, then refrigerate the stack for 20 minutes while you make the ganache.
Pour the Ganache
- Make the ganache: Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the heavy cream until just simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit 3 minutes, then whisk from the center outward until smooth and shiny. Cool until slightly thickened but still pourable.
Glaze and Chill
- Glaze in two passes: Pour a thin coat over the chilled stack and smooth it with an offset spatula. Chill 20 minutes, then pour on the rest for a thick glossy finish.
- Chill before slicing: Refrigerate at least 30 to 60 minutes before cutting. Wipe the knife between slices for clean edges. Enjoy!
Notes
The cooked-flour filling will look curdled and broken partway through beating. Keep going. Five minutes on medium turns it smooth and white, and stopping early is the most common failure.
Cool the flour and milk paste to room temperature before it goes into the whipped fats. Warm paste melts the butter and the filling never comes together.
Cool the layers completely before splitting them. A warm layer tears under the knife and melts the filling on contact.
Use all butter instead of shortening for a richer, softer, ivory-colored filling. Shortening gives the bright white color and the firmer set of the packaged original.
This cake must be refrigerated. Covered, it keeps 4 days, and the first two are the best. Press plastic wrap against any cut faces. Whole slices freeze for a month; thaw overnight in the fridge and let them stand 20 minutes before eating.
To make it ahead, bake and wrap the layers on day one, make the filling on day two, and assemble and glaze on day three. Baked layers also freeze for 3 months.
For a sheet cake, bake the batter in a 9x13 pan for 30 to 35 minutes, spread all the filling over the cooled cake, and pour the ganache over that.
Nutrition values are an estimate.
Nutrition
Calories: 570kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 440mg | Potassium: 260mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 54g | Vitamin A: 540IU | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 4.1mg