Pella — Cake:
1 cup cocoa, unsweetened
2 cups boiling water
1 cup butter, softened
2 1/2 cups sugar
4 lg eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Ganache:
9 oz semi-sweet choc. chips
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 Tbsp Grand Marnier
2 tsp grated orange zest
Frosting:
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 3 9-inch cake pans and line with waxed paper.
2. Combine boiling water and cocoa, stir until smooth. Place in fridge.
3. Cream butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla with electric mixer on high until light and fluffy.
4. In seperate bowl combine flour, soda, baking powder and salt.
5. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with cocoa mixture. Beat on low, beginning and ending with flour mixture mixture. Do not over beat.
6. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until top springs back.
7. Cool in pans 10 minutes then flip out onto large plate and place in freezer.
8 For ganache, place chocolate in medium bowl. Heat cream in small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, and pour over chocolate chips. Whisk until smooth. Stir in Grand Marnier and orange zest.
9. Tranfer hot chocolate to deep stainless steel bowl and immerse in ice water. Whip with a hand mixer until fluffy. Once it is to desired consistency remove from ice bath.
10. For frosting, combine chips, milk and butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth.
11. Remove from heat; blend in powdered sugar. Set pan into ice bath; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until frosting is fluffy and holds its shape. Remove from ice bath.
12. From freezer, place cakes on platter lined with wax paper.
13. Top first 2 cakes with ganache. Ice sides and top of cake with frosting.
Serve.
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