Try This at Home: How to Make a Four-Layer Cake

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A Showstopping Chocolate Masterpiece

Sweet Genius host and wedding cake expert Ron Ben-Israel shares his method for creating an impressive chocolate dessert that delivers bold, rich flavor with stunning visual impact.

Essential Tools & Preparation

You'll need two 10-inch-round metal cake pans, two plastic sheet protectors (from an office-supply store), four 10-inch cardboard cake circles, and a cake turntable. Ron recommends Magi-Cake Strips, which insulate the pan and help the cakes bake evenly without a domed top.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Fold a large sheet of parchment paper in half; place a 10-inch-round cake pan on top. Trace the pan, then cut out the circle to make two rounds of parchment. Spray two 10-inch cake pans with cooking spray; fit a parchment round into each. Spray the pans again, then dust with flour and tap out the excess.

The Batter

"This cake delivers a strong chocolate flavor," Ron explains. "The hot coffee helps bring out the rich, deep taste of the cocoa."

Pour hot coffee into a liquid measuring cup or bowl; whisk in the cocoa powder. Place the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer; mix with the paddle attachment on low speed for 1 minute.

Add the eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla, and 2 cups water; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low; gradually beat in the coffee-cocoa mixture until combined. The batter will be thin.

Baking the Cake

Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Let cool in the pans on a rack for 10 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto the rack to cool completely. Place each cake on a 10-inch cardboard cake circle, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Ganache & Chocolate Decorations

Pulverize bittersweet chocolate in a large food processor. Bring the cream just to a boil. With the motor running, pour the hot cream through the feed tube; process until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl and set in a bowl of ice water. Chill, stirring often, until the ganache is cool but not stiff, about 20 minutes.

Microwave white chocolate in 15-second intervals until two-thirds melted; stir to fully melt. Scrape into a zip-top bag and seal. Put a plastic sheet protector on each of 2 baking sheets. Snip a corner of the bag; pipe thin lines of white chocolate over the sheets. Refrigerate until set, about 10 minutes, then repeat with milk chocolate, piping thin lines over the white chocolate. Refrigerate until set.

Melt bittersweet chocolate in the same way, then spread over the white and milk chocolate lines using an offset spatula. Refrigerate until hard, about 30 minutes. Peel the sheet protectors off and break the chocolate sheets into shards of various sizes.

Assembly & Finishing

Place one cake on a cake turntable. Position a long, serrated knife against the side of the cake, about halfway down. Slowly rotate the turntable so the knife slices the cake in half horizontally. Repeat with the other cake to make 4 layers; transfer each to a cardboard circle.

Transfer half of the ganache to a bowl and whisk until light brown and fluffy. Place one cake layer on the turntable; spoon one-third of the whipped ganache on top. Rotate the turntable to smooth the ganache with a long spatula. Repeat to sandwich all 4 cake layers with whipped ganache. Spread all but about 1/2 cup of the unwhipped ganache over the top and sides of the cake.

Press the chocolate bark against the sides of the cake, using small dollops of the remaining ganache to help the pieces stick if necessary. Remove the bark before slicing and serve the pieces on the side.