A pretty and delicious chocolate naked cake with a soft chocolate sponge cake, chocolate ganache filling and a pretty pink buttercream. A perfect cake for special occasions.
Craving for more Chocolate recipes? Give these a try: Chocolate birthday cake, Raspberry chocolate ganache cake, triple chocolate brownies, Whipped Chocolate ganache and Chocolate cake pops.
This chocolate naked cake recipe is both delicious and indulgent but in a very clean and simple style to make for any occasion and celebration.
Made of a light and fluffy chocolate sponge cake filled with a whipped dark chocolate ganache and a border decoration made with a pink Italian meringue buttercream.
The nice thing about naked cakes is that you skip the external smoothing step and to be honest it's always a bit long and stressful while here the process is ultra simple and pretty at the same time.
Why you love this recipe
- Very easy and simple recipe with all the steps.
- Delicious with a soft chocolate sponge cake and chocolate ganache.
- A very trendy style perfect for special occasions.
- Greedy look that shows off the filling inside, perfect with fresh raspberries in addition.
Composition for this recipe
Sponge Cake
I use the Molly sponge cake for this layer cake which is a fluffy sponge cake made with whipped cream instead of butter.
You can replace it with a denser, moist sponge cake like the buttermilk chocolate cake or even more fluffy with the chocolate génoise sponge.
You will also like : Best 10 cake decorating tools for great cakes !
Chocolate ganache
To fill the cake layers I use a dark chocolate ganache, made of semi-sweet chocolate and heavy cream, whipped to get a smooth ganache.
Italiane meringue buttercream
And for the decorative borders, nothing better than a buttercream that gives these beautiful pink rosettes on the outline and it's just perfect to highlight the naked cake that reveals the interior.
⚠️ You will find the quantities and complete instructions in the recipe card at the end of the page.
How to Make a Naked Chocolate Cake
Chocolate cake
- Preheat oven to 329°F/ 160°C and line two 6 inches / 15 cm round cake pans with parchment paper.
- Place the eggs and sugar in the bowl of a pastry mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on high speed for 5-7 minutes until the mixture doubles in volume.
- Meanwhile, mix and sift together the dry ingredients, cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
- In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream with an electric mixer on medium speed for 3 minutes until it resembles whipped cream.
- Lower the speed of the stand mixer and add the dry ingredients and mix until they are incorporated.
- Then, using a spatula, gently fold in the whipped cream until smooth.
- Pour the cake batter into the two prepared pans.
- Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes until they are puffed up and cooked.
- Let them cool a little in their molds before gently unmolding them and then let them cool completely on a cake rack.
- Cover the chocolate sponge cakes with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour before cutting them into 4 equal layers.
Tip: Check for baking by sticking a toothpick into the center of the cake, which should come out clean and crumb-free.
Whipped ganache
- Break chocolate into pieces and place in a medium bowl.
- Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat until it simmers.
- Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit for a few moments before mixing with a spatula until you have a smooth liquid mixture.
- Cover the ganache with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight.
- On the day of assembly, whip the cold ganache with an electric mixer at medium speed for 1-2 minutes until smooth and creamy.
Tip: The ganache must be chilled before whipping and be careful to watch the texture if it is too whipped it will become grainy.
Pink Italian buttercream
- Start by placing sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat and using a cooking thermometer, control the temperature to reach 230°F / 110°C.
- Then, at 230°F / 110°C, place the egg whites and half of the sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a whisk and beat at medium speed.
- And when the syrup temperature reaches 244°F / 118°C, pour the syrup gently over the egg whites while the stand mixer is running.
- Finally, whip the mixture on high speed and let it rotate for about ten minutes until the meringue cools down and becomes quite shiny and firm.
- Finish by incorporating the butter cut into pieces into the meringue and let the stand mixer turn until a smooth and homogeneous buttercream is obtained.
- Finish with the pink gel food coloring and mix again to incorporate it and until you have a smooth buttercream.
Assembly
- First place a layer of chocolate cake on a cake decorating turntable over a cake board.
- And using a piping bag filled with Italian meringue buttercream and fitted with a star icing nozzle, poach pretty swirls around the edge.
- Then, with a piping bag filled with dark chocolate ganache fill the inside.
- Then repeat this step for the other layers of cake.
- Finally, place your chocolate naked cake in the fridge at least 1 hour before serving.
Storage and recipes variations
In the fridge: The naked chocolate cake can only be stored in the refrigerator for about 5 days, well covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight box.
Freeze: The leftover naked cake can be stored in the freezer in a storage bag for up to 3 months, then thawed gently in the refrigerator overnight.
Add fruit: For a tastier cake add fresh fruit, raspberries, strawberries or berries.
Serving suggestions: With red fruit coulis, fresh fruit, whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, pecans etc.
More chocolate recipes
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Chocolate Naked Cake
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 10 parts
Description
Chocolate naked cake recipe with a soft chocolate sponge cake, a dark chocolate ganache and an Italian meringue buttercream (for a 6 inch / 15 cm cake 8-10 parts)
Ingredients
Chocolate cake
- 3 Eggs - room temperature
- 250 g Sugar - granulated
- 2 tsp Vanilla
- 250 ml Heavy cream - full fat and cold
- 175 g Cake Flour
- 75 g Cocoa powder - unsweetened
- 1 ½ tsp Baking powder
Chocolate ganache
- 100 g Chocolate - semi-sweet
- 120 ml Heavy cream - full fat
Italian meringue Buttercream
- 4 Eggs white - at room temperature
- 350 g Sugar - granulated and divided in 2
- 150 ml Water
- 450 g Butter - unsalted and softened
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- Pink food color
Instructions
Chocolate Molly cake
- Preheat your oven to 320°F / 160°C and line 2 6 inches / 15 cm round cake pans with baking paper.
- Place the eggs and sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a whisk and beat at high speed for about 5-7 minutes, until the mixture whitens and doubles in volume.
- Mix together the dry ingredients, cake flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt and set aside.
- In another bowl, beat the whipped cream with an electric mixer at medium speed until fluffy and firm.
- While turning the mixer at low speed, add the dry ingredients to the first mixture of egg and sugar.
- Finish by gently stirring in the whipped cream with a soft spatula until a homogeneous mixture is obtained.
- Divide your cake batter into the two prepared cake pans, then bake for about 35-45 minutes.
- Check the baking with a toothpick or the tip of a knife, dip it into the center of the cake and if it comes out clean, the cake is done.
- Allow your cakes to cool for about 10 minutes before unmoulding and then let them cool completely on a cake rack.
- Then cover them with plastic wrap and place them in the fridge for at least 1 hour before cutting them into 4 layers.
Chocolate ganache
- Place the chocolate cut into pieces in a medium bowl.
- Bring the heavy cream to a boil, then pour it over the chocolate chunks.
- Mix with a spatula, the ganache should be smooth and completely melted.
- Cover on contact with plastic wrap and leave to stand overnight in the fridge.
Italian meringue buttercream
- Start by placing half of the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat and check the temperature with a cooking thermometer which should reach 230°F / 110°C.
- At 230°F/ 110°C, place the egg whites and the other half of the sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer and beat with a whisk at medium speed.
- Then, as soon as the syrup reaches 244°F / 118°C, pour it in a trickle over the whites while letting the whisk rotate.
- Then mix at high speed for about ten minutes until the meringue cools and is firm, white and shiny.
- Then lower the speed and incorporate the butter cut into pieces and resume mixing at high speed until you obtain a smooth and homogeneous buttercream.
- Then add the pink food coloring in very small quantities.
Assemble the cake
- Place a cake board on your cake turntable.
- Place a first layer of chocolate cake and, using the pastry bag with a star icing tip, containing the pink buttercream, swirl around the edges without overflowing, then fill the center with the pastry bag containing the chocolate ganache
- Place the 2nd layer of cake on top and repeat this step for all layers.
- Decorate the top of the cake in the same way with the buttercream and the ganache.
- Put the naked cake back in the fridge and take the cake out about 30 minutes before serving to loosen the buttercream.
Notes
Conservation: Up to 5 days in the refrigerator under a plastic film or an airtight box and up to 3 months in the freezer.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: cake, Dessert
- Cuisine: american
Nutrition
- Calories: 544
- Sugar: 58
- Sodium: 171
- Fat: 22
- Saturated Fat: 13
- Carbohydrates: 83
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 10
- Cholesterol: 114
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