• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Curly Girl Kitchen
  • about
  • faqs
  • recipes
  • portfolio
  • work with me
  • contact
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

High Altitude Chocolate Truffle Cake

November 3, 2021 by Heather Smoke 2 Comments

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Today’s high altitude chocolate truffle cake is for serious chocolate lovers only. There are six layers of moist chocolate cake, filled with creamy homemade chocolate custard. All that custard-soaked cake is then covered in dark chocolate ganache and mini chocolate chips.  Since there’s no buttercream, this cake is rich and dark, without being too sweet, making it a true celebration of chocolate.

This is also a surprisingly easy cake to make and assemble. While there are a few components, the cake, ganache and custard all come together quickly. Most of the time required to make this cake is simply spent waiting for the custard and ganache to cool so you can assemble the cake. And in today’s post, I’ve included lots of photos with step-by-step instructions to guide you as you make your own cake.

Looking for more chocolate recipes? You’ll love my double Dutch dark chocolate ice cream, flourless chocolate cake, and chocolate almond tart.

Chocolate truffle cake on a marble and wood cake stand.

This site contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  This means that I may make a small commission if you purchase a product using those links.  This in no way affects my opinion of those products and services.  All opinions expressed on this site are my own.

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. In fact, they’re only as sweet as the chocolate used to make them. So if you use chocolate with 40-45% cacao, then your truffles will be sweeter than if you use chocolate with 55-65% cacao.

A chocolate truffle cake has all the flavors and textures of a chocolate truffle, in a decadent, show-stopping chocolate dessert that’s perfect for any holiday, birthday or other special occasion. In today’s cake you get soft, fluffy chocolate sour cream cake, creamy chocolate custard, and rich ganache. The texture of the chocolate chips is just delicious with all the creamy layers of cake and custard.

This chocolate truffle cake has three main components, the cake, the custard and the ganache. It’s a long list of ingredients and a lot of steps, but it really makes such a fantastic chocolate cake for a special occasion.

A slice of chocolate truffle cake with a silver fork.
Closeup of the layers inside a chocolate truffle cake.

See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

The cake itself is my high altitude chocolate cake, which is my absolute favorite chocolate cake recipe.  I’ve made it dozens of times, and it never lets me down.  It’s soft, moist and rich, and it’s truly the best chocolate cake ever.  It’s so good, that I would happily eat it on its own without buttercream, or just with a little whipped cream and fresh berries.

  • Dry Ingredients: all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, Dutch-processed cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, espresso powder
  • Liquid Ingredients: eggs, milk, sour cream, vegetable oil, vanilla extract
Ingredients for making chocolate cake.

Chocolate Custard

I make my homemade chocolate custard – or pudding, if you like – with both cocoa powder and good-quality dark chocolate.  The custard is rich with whole milk and egg yolks, lightly sweetened with sugar, and finished with a little butter and vanilla extract.  I’ve used this same recipe to fill chocolate cream pies, or just to spoon into trifle bowls, layered with whipped cream.

When spread between the layers of cake, the custard soaks into the cake, creating an impossibly soft and moist chocolate cake, that stays fresh and moist for days and days.

Ingredients for making chocolate custard.

Chocolate Ganache

Ganache is nothing more than chocolate + heavy whipping cream. You’ll be warming the cream, then pouring it over the chopped chocolate until it melts. Ganache is a delicious alternative to a traditional buttercream frosting.

Ingredients for making chocolate ganache.
Chocolate ganache in a bowl.

TIP: The cakes can be baked one day in advance, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap after cooling.

Instructions

Bake and cool the chocolate cake.

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven.  Prepare three 6-inch cake pans by spraying the bottoms of the pans with non-stick spray.  After the cakes are cooled, you’ll be splitting each cake, for a total of 6 cake layers.
  • In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add the eggs, milk, sour cream, oil, vanilla and espresso powder, and whisk well to combine.
  • Dry ingredients for chocolate cake in a mixing bowl.
  • A whisk and chocolate cake batter in a bowl.
  • Divide the batter evenly between the pans, and bake the cakes for about 20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean, and the tops spring back when lightly touched.  Place on a cooling rack, cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let cool completely.

TIP: The custard will need to be made at least 6 hours in advance, so it has time to chill.

Cook and chill the custard.

  • In a saucepan, whisk together the cocoa powder, sugar and corn starch.  Slowly whisk in the milk, then the egg yolks, whisking until smooth.
  • Cook over medium heat, while whisking constantly, until the custard starts to thicken and bubble (this should take about 8-10 minutes). Once it starts to thicken, continue to cook for 1 full minute.
  • Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, vanilla and chocolate until smooth.
  • Pour into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap resting right against the surface of the custard, and chill for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
Chocolate custard in a saucepan.

TIP: The ganache will need to be made no more than one hour before you plan to assemble your cake – it needs to be slightly cooled, but still pourable.

Ganache

  • The ganache will need to be made no more than one hour before you plan to assemble your cake – it needs to be slightly cooled and thickened, but still pourable.
  • In a saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat just until it begins to bubble.
  • Meanwhile, chop the chocolate and place in a bowl.
  • Ingredients for making chocolate ganache.
  • Chopped chocolate in a fluted ramekin.
  • Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, let stand at room temperature for 3 minutes, then stir with a spatula until smooth and thick.
  • Set aside to cool for about an hour before assembling your cake.
  • Chopped chocolate melting into hot cream in a saucepan.
  • Chocolate ganache in a saucepan.

Assembly

  • Take the chilled custard and stir it up to loosen it slightly.
  • Use a sharp knife to split the 3 cakes so you have 6 layers.
  • Place one of the cakes, split side facing up, on a cake board or cake pedestal. Use a small offset spatula to spread 1/5 of the custard evenly over the cake, stopping 1/2 inch from the edge. Repeat stacking and filling the cakes with custard. You’ll have 6 layers of cake, filled with 5 layers of custard. For the final cake layer on top, set it on the cake with the split side facing down.
  • Custard spread onto a layer of chocolate cake.
  • Chocolate cake layers filled with chocolate custard.
  • Your cake layers may not look perfectly even, and that’s okay, since it’s difficult to spit cakes evenly. If the sides of the cake are too uneven, you can trim them a little with a sharp knife for straight up and down sides.
  • To cover the cake in ganache, start by pouring about 1/2 of the ganache on top of the cake. Use a small offset spatula to nudge it towards the edges, then spread it evenly around the sides of the cake. Pour on the rest of the ganache, and finish spreading it evenly all over the cake.
  • Chocolate ganache poured on top of a chocolate truffle cake.
  • Chocolate ganache covering a chocolate cake.
  • Before the ganache firms up, press handfuls of the mini chocolate chips around the sides and on top of the cake.  Scoop up any that fall and keep pressing them onto the cake until it’s fully covered.
  • Chocolate chips pressed onto ganache on a chocolate cake.
  • Chocolate chips covering a chocolate cake.

TIP: This last step is optional, but the piped frosting adds a nice decorative touch. Since the ganache will need to chill for 1 hour, you can get it ready at the same time that you make the ganache for covering the cake. This way, it’ll be ready by the time you need it to finish decorating your cake.

Piped Ganache Frosting

  • In a saucepan, heat 4 oz of the cream (1/2 cup) over medium heat just until it begins to bubble.
  • Meanwhile, chop the chocolate and place in a bowl.  Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, let stand at room temperature for 3 minutes, then stir with a spatula until smooth and thick.
  • Refrigerate the ganache for 1 hour, stirring it every 15 minutes so that it cools evenly. When it’s thickened and cooled completely, it’s ready to whip into frosting.
  • To the cooled ganache, add the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Use an electric mixer to whip the frosting for several minutes until fluffy and spreadable, adding the remaining 1/4 cup cream as needed, if the frosting is too thick.
  • Fit a piping bag with tip 6B and fill with the frosting. Pipe decorative swirls on top of the cake.

TIP: Make sure the chocolate chips on top of the cake are pressed into the ganache. If you have any loose chocolate chips scattered on top, they will prevent the frosting from sticking.

Ganache piped on top of a chocolate truffle cake.
Closeup of piped chocolate ganache.

Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common questions with cake making, so that you can be successful in your own baking! I also suggest reading my comprehensive posts on making Perfect American Buttercream and How to Stack, Fill, Crumb Coat and Frost Layer Cakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I bake the cake in two 6-inch pans instead of three pans?

If your pans have a 3-inch depth, then you can probably divide the batter between two pans and bake the cakes without them overflowing. I haven’t tested this, though. But while it’s easy to split three cakes into six layers, it would be much more difficult to split two cakes into six layers. The best option would be to bake 2/3 of the batter in your two pans, then when you can free up a pan, bake the remaining 1/3 of the batter.

How should I adjust the recipe for a larger cake?

You can double this recipe and bake it in three 8-inch cake pans.

Will this recipe work if I don’t live at high altitude?

Since this is a high altitude chocolate cake recipe, you may need to make a few slight adjustments to the cake ingredients, such as decreasing the flour by several tablespoons, and increasing the leavening by 1/4-1/2 teaspoon. I suggest reading this article on high altitude baking adjustments.

What kind of chocolate do you use in the ganache and custard?

In both the ganache and the custard, I used Chocolove 55% Dark Chocolate. You can also use semi-sweet chocolate chips, but they don’t melt quite as smoothly as good-quality chocolate.

What’s the difference between chocolate cake and chocolate truffle cake?

Chocolate cake is assembled more simply with chocolate buttercream. A chocolate truffle cake is made of chocolate cake layers filled with custard, then covered in ganache and chocolate chips.

What if I can’t find mini chocolate chips to cover the cake?

You really need to use mini chocolate chips, since their small size works best for covering the cake. If you can’t find any, you can finely chop several bars of chocolate instead. If using chopped chocolate, refrigerate it for several minutes first, and press it onto the cake quickly, so the heat of your hand doesn’t melt the chocolate.

A slice of chocolate truffle cake with a bite taken.

You Might Also Like

  • Slices of chocolate almond tart, sprinkled with chopped chocolate and almonds.
    Chocolate Almond Tart
  • Closeup of dark chocolate ice cream.
    Double Dutch Dark Chocolate Ice Cream
  • Chocolate chip cookie dough truffles, sprinkled with sea salt.
    Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles
  • Chocolate zucchini bread, sliced on a marble cutting board.
    Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Favorite Products


Did you love today’s recipe? Please rate the recipe and let me know in the comments what you thought! Also, be sure to follow Curly Girl Kitchen on Instagram, and tag me when you try one of my recipes so I can see all your delicious creations!

Chocolate truffle cake on a marble and wood cake stand.

High Altitude Chocolate Truffle Cake

Heather Smoke
Six layers of moist chocolate cake are filled with creamy homemade chocolate custard, then covered in dark chocolate ganache and mini chocolate chips.

All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet.

5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 45 mins
Cook Time 35 mins
Chilling Time 8 hrs
Total Time 9 hrs 20 mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings10

Equipment

  • 6-inch Round Cake Pans (x3)

Ingredients
 

Cake

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • ¾ cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 6 tbsp unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • ¼ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • ½ cup whole milk, room temperature
  • ½ cup sour cream, room temperature
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ tbsp espresso powder (optional)

Custard

  • 4 tsp unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder
  • 1 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 4 tsp corn starch
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ oz good-quality dark chocolate, chopped (Chocolove Dark Chocolate, 55% cacao)

Ganache & Chocolate Chips

  • 4 oz (1/2 cup) heavy whipping cream
  • 4 oz good-quality dark chocolate, chopped (55% cacao)
  • 10 oz (1 bag) semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

Piped Ganache Frosting

  • 6 oz (3/4 cup) heavy whipping cream, divided
  • 4 oz good-quality dark chocolate, chopped (55% cacao)
  • ¾ cup powdered sugar
  • ¼ cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder

Instructions
 

Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven.  Prepare three 6-inch cake pans by spraying the bottoms of the pans with non-stick spray.  After the cakes are cooled, you’ll be splitting each cake, for a total of 6 cake layers.
  • In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add the eggs, milk, sour cream, oil, vanilla and espresso powder, and whisk well to combine.
  • Divide the batter evenly between the pans, and bake the cakes for about 20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean, and the tops spring back when lightly touched.  Place on a cooling rack, cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let cool completely.

Custard

  • The custard will need to be made at least 6 hours in advance (or overnight), so it has time to chill.
  • In a saucepan, whisk together the cocoa powder, sugar and corn starch.  Slowly whisk in the milk, then the egg yolks, whisking until smooth.
  • Cook over medium heat, while whisking constantly, until the custard starts to thicken and bubble (this should take about 8-10 minutes). Once it starts to thicken, continue to cook for 1 full minute.
  • Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, vanilla and chocolate until smooth.
  • Pour into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap resting right against the surface of the custard, and chill for at least 6 hours, or overnight.

Ganache

  • The ganache will need to be made no more than one hour before you plan to assemble your cake – it needs to be slightly cooled and thickened, but still pourable.
  • In a saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat just until it begins to bubble.
  • Meanwhile, chop the chocolate and place in a bowl.  Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, let stand at room temperature for 3 minutes, then stir with a spatula until smooth and thick.
  • Set aside to cool for about an hour before assembling your cake.

Assembly

  • Take the chilled custard and stir it up to loosen it slightly.
  • Use a sharp knife to split the 3 cakes so you have 6 layers.
  • Place one of the cakes, split side facing up, on a cake board or cake pedestal. Use a small offset spatula to spread 1/5 of the custard evenly over the cake, stopping 1/2 inch from the edge. Repeat stacking and filling the cakes with custard. You'll have 6 layers of cake, filled with 5 layers of custard. For the final cake layer on top, set it on the cake with the split side facing down.
  • Your cake layers may not look perfectly even, and that's okay, since it's difficult to spit cakes evenly. If the sides of the cake are too uneven, you can trim them a little with a sharp knife for straight up and down sides.
  • To cover the cake in ganache, start by pouring about 1/2 of the ganache on top of the cake. Use a small offset spatula to nudge it towards the edges, then spread it evenly around the sides of the cake. Pour on the rest of the ganache, and finish spreading it evenly all over the cake.
  • Before the ganache firms up, press handfuls of the mini chocolate chips around the sides and on top of the cake.  Scoop up any that fall and keep pressing them onto the cake until it’s fully covered.

Piped Ganache Frosting

  • This last step is optional, but the piped frosting adds a nice decorative touch. You can get the ganache for the frosting ready at the same time that you make the ganache for covering the cake, so that it's ready by the time you need it to decorate your cake.
  • In a saucepan, heat 4 oz of the cream (1/2 cup) over medium heat just until it begins to bubble.
  • Meanwhile, chop the chocolate and place in a bowl.  Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, let stand at room temperature for 3 minutes, then stir with a spatula until smooth and thick.
  • Refrigerate the ganache for 1 hour, stirring it every 15 minutes so that it cools evenly. When it's thickened and cooled completely, it's ready to whip into frosting.
  • To the cooled ganache, add the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Use an electric mixer to whip the frosting for several minutes until fluffy and spreadable, adding the remaining 1/4 cup cream as needed, if the frosting is too thick.
  • Fit a piping bag with tip 6B and fill with the frosting. Pipe decorative swirls on top of the cake.
    Make sure the chocolate chips on top of the cake are pressed into the ganache. If you have any loose chocolate chips scattered on top, they will prevent the frosting from sticking.

Notes

The cake should be stored in an airtight container or cake carrier, for up to 3 days.  Keep the leftover cake refrigerated overnight, but bring it to room temperature for serving.
Keyword Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Truffle, High Altitude
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Filed Under: Cakes

Previous Post: « Easy Sausage Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole
Next Post: High Altitude Eggnog Coffee Cake »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nina

    January 22, 2022 at 2:33 am

    Do you have an eggless recipe for chocolate truffle cake?

    Reply
    • Heather Smoke

      January 23, 2022 at 6:53 pm

      No, I don’t.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Welcome

I'm Heather, and welcome to my Colorado kitchen, where you will find high-altitude tested recipes for beautifully photographed cakes, baked goods and sweets. I believe that the kitchen is the heart of a home, and everyone is welcome in mine. So stay a while, sip a cup of coffee, and bake something delicious with me!

A graphic on how to make perfect American buttercream.
A graphic on how to stack, fill, crumb coat and frost layer cakes.

Recipe Index

  • Breads, Biscuits, Muffins and Doughnuts
  • Breakfast
  • Brownies and Bars
  • Cakes
    • Buttercream
    • Cake Decorating
    • Cheesecakes
    • Classic Cake Flavors
    • Holiday Themed Cakes
  • Candy and Snacks
  • Christmas and Thanksgiving
    • Christmas Cakes
    • Christmas Cookies
  • Cookies
  • Crisps, Crumbles and Puddings
  • Cupcakes
  • Drinks
  • Halloween
  • How To Guides and Resources
  • Ice Cream and Frozen Treats
    • Frozen Custard
    • Ice Cream Sandwiches
    • No Churn Ice Cream
    • Popsicles
  • Jams and Sweet Sauces
  • Pies and Tarts
A graphic on how I improved my food photography with Foodtography School.
A graphic on how to make flaky pie dough.

Recent Posts

  • High Altitude Mini Vanilla Cake for Two
  • High Altitude Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake
  • High Altitude Mini Chocolate Cake for Two
  • Soft and Chewy High Altitude Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • High Altitude Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies
  • No Bake Orange Creamsicle Cheesecake Bars
  • High Altitude Cookies and Cream Oreo Blondies
  • Easy High Altitude Mini Strawberry Shortcakes
  • High Altitude Cornbread Muffins
  • Strawberry Orange Cream Pie

Archives

  • about
  • faqs
  • recipes
  • portfolio
  • work with me
  • contact

Footer

I'm Heather, and welcome to Curly Girl Kitchen, where you will find high-altitude tested recipes for beautifully photographed cakes and sweets. I believe that the kitchen is the heart of a home, and everyone is welcome in mine. So stay a while, sip a cup of coffee, and bake something sweet with me!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Privacy Policy

About

FAQs

Work With Me

Contact

Copyright © 2022 Curly Girl Kitchen on the Foodie Pro Theme