Level

Easy

Yield

8 servings

Time

Total: 2 hr 20 min (including cooling time)
Active: 50 min

Nutritional Analysis Per Serving

Serving Size: 1 of 8 servings

Calories: 1254
Total Fat: 70 g
Saturated Fat: 28 g
Carbohydrates: 160 g
Dietary Fiber: 10 g
Sugar: 106 g
Protein: 15 g
Cholesterol: 123 mg
Sodium: 692 mg

About This Recipe

Transform your holiday table with this show-stopping cake that brings festive cheer to every slice. When cut, this elegant dessert reveals a delightful reindeer design that's sure to delight family and friends. Rich, moist chocolate layers are crowned with luxurious ganache frosting and whimsical decorative details that capture the magic of the season.

Cake Ingredients

Cooking spray, for the pan
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch process)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Chocolate Ganache Frosting Ingredients

12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon light corn syrup

Decoration Ingredients

1 cup white chocolate chips
7 brown candy-covered chocolates
1 red candy-coated chocolate
16 small candy eyes
16 pieces pretzel twists, broken into antler shapes

Special Equipment

An 8-inch cardboard cake circle
A pastry bag fitted with a medium plain tip or a resealable plastic bag

Instructions

For the Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Coat two 8-inch-round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Whisk the cocoa powder and 1 1/2 cups boiling water in a medium bowl until smooth; set aside. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl until combined. Add the eggs, vegetable oil, sour cream and vanilla and beat with a mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the cocoa mixture in a steady stream until just combined, then finish mixing with a rubber spatula.
Divide the batter between the prepared pans and tap the pans against the counter to help the batter settle. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer to racks and let cool 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the pans and turn the cakes out onto the racks to cool completely. Remove the parchment. Trim the tops of the cakes with a long serrated knife to make them level.

For the Ganache

Put the chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring the heavy cream and corn syrup to a simmer in a small saucepan. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let stand 5 minutes, then stir until completely smooth. Let the ganache sit until it has cooled and thickened to a spreadable consistency, 20 to 30 minutes.
Place 1 cake layer on a cardboard cake circle on a wire rack set over a baking sheet to catch any drips. Spread about 1/2 cup of the ganache on top and place the second cake layer cut-side down over the ganache. Dollop half of the remaining ganache on top and spread with a large offset spatula so the ganache covers the top of the cake and slowly runs down the sides. Repeat with the remaining ganache, using the offset spatula to make a smooth, even layer over the surface and around the sides of the cake. Refrigerate until set, 30 minutes to 1 hour.

To Decorate

Melt the white chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe bowl in the microwave in 15 second intervals on 50 percent power until melted, stirring after each interval. Let sit 5 minutes, then transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a medium plain tip. (Alternatively, transfer to a resealable plastic bag and snip off a corner.) Pipe a straight line through the center of the cake from top to bottom, then another line through the center from left to right, dividing the cake into quarters. Pipe 2 more lines to divide the cake into eighths. Pipe a circle of white chocolate around the edge of the cake. Pipe a small circle where the points intersect in the center of the cake. Place a candy-coated chocolate near the tip of each point for reindeer noses (one of them will be red). Add 2 reindeer eyes above each nose. Stick 2 pretzel twist pieces above each pair of eyes.