Strip House's Brooklyn Blackout Cake

Ingredients

• For the Devil's Food Cake Layers (makes 3 rounds — 6 layers total + crumble)
• 2¼ cups (270g) all-purpose flour
• 1¾ cups (350g) granulated sugar
• ¾ cup (75g) Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon fine kosher salt
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, room temperature
• 1 cup (240ml) hot strong-brewed coffee (not instant — use a real brewed coffee; espresso diluted with water works well)
• ½ cup (120ml) neutral oil (vegetable or canola)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• For the Chocolate Pudding Filling
• ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
• ½ cup (50g) Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted
• 4 tablespoons (32g) cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon fine kosher salt
• 3 cups (720ml) whole milk
• 3 tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter
• 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• For the Dark Chocolate Ganache
• 12 oz (340g) bittersweet chocolate (65–70% cacao), finely chopped
• 1½ cups (360ml) heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup (for gloss and to prevent crystallization)

Instructions

1. 1.Make the pudding filling first — it needs at least 8 hours to firm up. In a heavy saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt until no lumps remain. Gradually whisk in the milk until completely smooth. Set over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula and scraping the bottom and corners of the pan, until the pudding thickens and large, slow bubbles begin to pop on the surface, about 12–15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla until fully incorporated. Pour into a shallow bowl or container, press plastic wrap directly against the surface (prevents a skin from forming), and refrigerate overnight — minimum 8 hours, 12 is better. The finished pudding should be very firm: thick enough that a spoon dragged through it leaves a clean track.
2. 2.Bake the cake layers. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter three 9-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment, and butter the parchment. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil, and vanilla until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk just until smooth — don't overmix, but don't leave lumps either. The batter will be quite liquid. Divide the batter evenly among the three prepared pans (each pan will be about ¾ full). Bake 28–32 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs (not wet batter). Cool in the pans 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks and cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight — cold cake layers are much easier to slice.
3. 3.Slice the cold cake rounds into thin layers. Place each round flat-side down on a cutting board. Using a long serrated knife, mark the equator of each round all the way around with a light score line. Then, with one hand gently pressing down on the top of the round (as if holding it steady), use a long sawing motion to slice through the full round horizontally. You want 2 thin layers per round = 6 layers total. Keep them flat on parchment paper as you work. Refrigerate any layers you're not actively using — cold layers are structurally firmer and less prone to crumbling.
4. 4.Crumble one layer for the coating. Take the thinnest or least-perfect of your 6 layers and use your hands to break it into small, irregular crumbs — some fine crumbs, some pea-sized pieces. Spread them on a rimmed baking sheet. You should have a generous pile. Set aside at room temperature.
5. 5.Assemble the cake. You now have 5 cake layers remaining. Place the first layer on a cardboard cake round or a flat serving plate. Remove the pudding from the refrigerator and stir it vigorously to loosen slightly — it will still be very thick. Spoon about ½ cup of pudding onto the layer and spread it evenly to the edges with an offset spatula, going all the way to the edge in a ¼-inch thick layer. Lay the second cake layer directly on top and press gently so it's level. Repeat with pudding between each layer. After the fifth (top) layer is placed, use the offset spatula to scrape away any pudding that squeezed out from the sides. You want the stacked cake to have clean, sharp sides. Refrigerate the stacked cake for 2 hours — this firms up the pudding and makes the exterior coating step much cleaner.
6. 6.Make the ganache. Place the chopped chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat until it just begins to simmer (don't boil). Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit undisturbed for 2 minutes. Add the butter and corn syrup, then stir slowly from the center outward in widening circles until the ganache is completely smooth, glossy, and homogeneous. Set aside at room temperature for 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it reaches a pourable-but-not-runny consistency — it should flow slowly off a spoon and hold its shape when poured on a surface. If it cools too much and becomes stiff, gently warm over a double boiler.
7. 7.Coat the cake with ganache. Remove the chilled stacked cake from the refrigerator. Pour about ⅓ of the ganache over the top, using an offset spatula to spread it in a thin, even layer across the top and down all the sides. The goal is a thin, complete coat — not a thick exterior. The crumbs will provide the final visual. Smooth the sides as much as possible. If the ganache starts to set too quickly, you can warm the spatula briefly under hot water and dry it before smoothing.
8. 8.Apply the crumb coating — act quickly. Within 10–15 minutes of applying the ganache (while it's still slightly tacky), take handfuls of the chocolate cake crumbs and gently press them into the ganache on the sides and top of the cake. Work methodically from the bottom up on the sides, then across the top. Use a flat hand to press the crumbs in with very light pressure — just enough contact to embed them, not so hard that you dent the ganache. The goal is complete coverage: no ganache should be visible through the crumbs. Use every last crumb. The finished cake should look like it's been completely blanketed in chocolate rubble. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
9. 9.To serve: Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before slicing. For clean slices, run a long serrated knife under hot water, wipe completely dry, and make one smooth downward cut per slice — no sawing. Wipe the blade dry between each slice. Serve immediately.