Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter two 15-by-12-inch jelly roll pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. In a medium saucepan, melt 6 ounces of the chopped chocolate with the butter and vanilla over very low heat, stirring gently. Remove the chocolate mixture from the heat and let cool slightly.
In a small saucepan, combine the cocoa with the water and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Let cool slightly, then whisk the mixture into the melted chocolate. Whisk in the crème fraîche.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the whole eggs, egg yolks and both sugars at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the chocolate mixture. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking soda, baking powder and salt and transfer to a sifter or a sieve. Sift the dry ingredients and fold into the cake batter with a large spatula until fully incorporated.
Spread the batter evenly between the prepared pans and sprinkle with the remaining 4 ounces of chopped chocolate. Bake the cakes in the lower and middle third of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the centers spring back when lightly pressed; shift the pans halfway through baking. Let the cakes cool completely in the pans.
In a medium bowl set over a medium saucepan of simmering water, melt the white chocolate. Remove from the heat. Pour off the water in the saucepan and wipe it out. Add the heavy cream and butter to the saucepan and heat until the butter is melted and small bubbles appear around the edges. Whisk the hot cream mixture into the white chocolate. Set the bowl in a cool place until the ganache is firm enough to hold its shape, at least 1 hour.
In a medium saucepan, heat the cream until small bubbles appear around the edges. Put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and pour the hot cream on top. Let stand for 2 to 3 minutes, until the chocolate has melted, then whisk until smooth. Set the bowl in a cool place until the ganache is firm enough to hold its shape, at least 1 hour.
In a medium saucepan, melt the chocolate over very low heat, stirring frequently. In a small saucepan, whisk together the granulated sugar, corn syrup, cocoa and water and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and whisk in the brandy and melted chocolate. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk, beat the butter at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the cooled chocolate mixture. At low speed, beat in the confectioners' sugar.
Cut out a 5-by-11-inch cardboard rectangle. Place a sheet of parchment or wax paper over each cake and top with a flat cookie sheet or cutting board. Invert the cakes and remove the pans. Keeping the paper attached, trim each cake to an even 15-by-11-inch rectangle, then cut each cake into three 5-by-11-inch rectangles; you will have 6 rectangles.
Spoon a small dollop of the chocolate frosting onto the cardboard rectangle and transfer one cake rectangle to it; peel off the paper. This will be the base. Spread half of the white chocolate ganache on the base and top with another cake rectangle; peel off the paper. Spread half of the dark chocolate ganache on the cake and top with another cake layer, peeling off the parchment. Spread with 1 1/4 cups of the chocolate frosting. Repeat with 2 more layers, peeling the parchment off the cake rectangles and spreading them with the remaining white chocolate ganache and dark chocolate ganache. Keep the sides even as you build the cake by smoothing them out with a metal cake spatula. Top with the final cake rectangle and peel off the parchment. Coat the sides and top of the cake with a smooth layer of chocolate frosting; refrigerate briefly to set the frosting. Spread the remaining frosting over the cake and garnish with the chocolate shavings. Carefully transfer the cake (on its cardboard base) to a platter and refrigerate until firm. Using a hot knife, cut the cake into slices while cold and let come to room temperature before serving.
Make Ahead
The cake can be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for up to 2 weeks.
FAQs
What is a Chocolate Truffle Cake? A chocolate truffle is a type of chocolate candy that's usually made of ganache (heavy whipping cream + chocolate). The chilled ganache is rolled into balls and then coated in sweetened cocoa powder or melted chocolate. Chocolate truffles are dark, rich and not very sweet.
What's the difference between chocolate cake and chocolate truffle cake? ›
Texture: Chocolate cake is lighter and more sponge-like, while a truffle cake is denser and richer. Flavor: A standard chocolate cake is sweet with a pronounced cocoa flavor. In contrast, a chocolate truffle cake is deeper and more intense, often with a creamy, melt-in-your-mouth quality.
What do you put between layers of chocolate cake? ›
Whipped cream and lusciously ripe berries are an English summer classic and make a fruity filling for a chocolate cake. Alternatively, dollop on a layer of fruit curd before you add cream for a twist on a Victoria sponge. We love the bright, citrus flavours of lime, lemon and passionfruit with dark chocolate.
What's in the middle of a chocolate truffle? ›
A truffle is a rich chocolate candy. The inside of a chocolate truffle consists of melted chocolate, butter, cream, nuts and different flavorings such as spirits or liqueurs, vanilla, coffee, and spices.
What's the difference between truffle and truffle chocolate? ›
Despite sharing a name, a chocolate truffle does not contain any truffles of the mushroom variety. Nevertheless, some especially adventurous chocolate manufacturers may attempt to make chocolate-covered mushrooms.
What kind of chocolate is best for truffles? ›
Chocolate chips are great for recipes like chocolate chip cookies where we want the chips to stay mostly intact, but here want to reach for quality chocolate bars which are sold as 4 ounce bars in the baking aisle. Use milk chocolate for sweeter truffles or semi-sweet/dark chocolate for extra rich truffles.
Which chocolate cake is more tasty? ›
Chocolate Fudge Cake
It is an absolute favourite of all chocolate lovers. Fudge cakes are delicious, moist, and go with most any occasion.
Why is it called chocolate truffle cake? ›
The name 'truffle' came from the chocolate balls' strong physical resemblance to the valuable truffle fungus once he had covered his invention in cocoa powder. Nowadays, there are numerous varieties of truffles depending on the unique appearances of chocolate truffles across different countries.
How do you keep a layer cake moist? ›
Seven Bakery Secrets to Incredibly Moist Cakes Every Time
- Use Buttermilk Instead of Milk.
- Add Vegetable Oil.
- Use Instant Clearjel or Instant Pudding Mix.
- Use the Right Recipe.
- Don't Overbake.
- Bake in Sheet Pans Instead of individual Cake Pans.
- Use a Simple Syrup or Glaze.
There are various delicious alternatives to frosting for layering cakes:
- **Fruit Jam or Preserves:** - Spread a thin layer of your favorite fruit jam or preserves between the cake layers for added sweetness and flavor.
- **Whipped Cream:** ...
- **Lemon Curd:** ...
- **Chocolate Ganache:**
Swiss meringue buttercream is a favorite among many cake decorators because of its smooth finish on the outside cakes and its ability to hold piping detail.
What kind of frosting do most bakeries use? ›
Most commercial bakeries are using a buttercream made with shortening rather than butter, because it is more stable, especially if it gets warm.
Can you put icing between cake layers? ›
Filling: Filling is what goes between the cake layers. Cakes can be filled with frosting (like in this tutorial), mousse, ganache, whipped cream, fruit preserves, custard, and more.
What is a chocolate truffle cake? ›
Chocolate truffle cake
It is a simple cake consisting of chocolate, heavy cream, and butter. This soft and luxurious cake is covered with ganache glaze and bittersweet filling, making it perfect for chocolate lovers.
Does chocolate truffle cake contain truffle? ›
Chocolate Truffle cake is also made with a moist chocolate sponge but with a sweet twist. A chocolate truffle is used for filling, high-quality creamy chocolaty ganache is used for frosting and to give a glaze along with a chocolate truffle for garnishing on top.
What is a truffle dessert made of? ›
Truffles are the ultimate bite-sized balls of chocolate. They're made with ganache, or a mixture of melted chocolate and cream, and they're often rolled in toppings or coated in more chocolate.
What are truffles made out of? ›
Truffles are a fungus that grows underground at or near the base of trees known as host trees, but not all trees are suitable places for truffles to grow. Typically host trees include poplar, beech, and oak trees. Truffle fungi grow worldwide in many different varieties.
