Mexican Hot Chocolate Cake with Ganache Frosting

Ingredients

• 9 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups minus 2 tablespoons unbleached pastry flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper (optional, you might choose to use less if you don�t like hot food)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup water
• 3/4 cup whole milk

GANACHE

• 10 ounces 67-72% chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup water
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

Directions

1. Place rack in center of oven & preheat oven to 350�
2. Grease two 9″ springform pans and line the bottoms with circles of parchment paper.
3. Sift flour, corn starch, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, baking powder cinnamon, and chili powder in a bowl.
4. In the bowl your standing mixer, (or by hand), cream butter and sugar until smooth- about five minutes then add your eggs one at a time.
5. Mix together the water and milk. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter, egg, sugar mixture and incorporate well, the add the water and milk. Next add the last of the flour mixture and stir until it looks like cake batter.
6. Pour the batter into the two pans and bake for 17-23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
7. To make the ganache,melt the chocolate and water in a heat proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Stirring gently until completely melted. Remove from heat.
8. Whisk small pieces of butter into the chocolate until it becomes totally smooth. Allow the ganache to cool and thicken up before frosting the cake. This will take a while.
9. To frost the cake, remove layers from pans and place a nice thick layer of frosting on top of the bottom layer then place the top layer atop that one. Then frost the top of the cake first and finish with sides.