Tuxedo Cake
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By Alyssa Rivers
on Jan 13, 2024, Updated Nov 07, 2024 |
Chocolate lovers, this tuxedo cake is for you! Two layers of moist chocolate cake wrapped in chocolate with a velvety white chocolate ganache layer. It’s so rich and delicious it’s almost sinful.
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
- Customizable: Making a cake from scratch allows you to change up the sweetness level, freshness, and quality of ingredients. You can make it so its exactly how you want!
- Chocolate Lovers Dream: Decadent layers of rich chocolate will make any chocolate lover’s dreams come true!
- Special Occasion: This cake is perfect to serve up to that special someone after a fancy dinner out or at home. Make this for your next date night alongside London broil, Boursin mashed potatoes and asparagus.
Cake and Ganache Ingredients
I know it looks like a long list, but trust me, each ingredient is necessary to create the best flavor and texture. Note: exact measurements are at the end of the post in the recipe card!
Chocolate Cake:
- Vegetable Oil: Keeps your cake layers extra moist and tender.
- Warm Coffee: A secret flavor enhancer! Don’t worry, the coffee flavor isn’t overpowering. You can’t really taste it at all, it just deepens the chocolate flavor.
- Eggs: Room temperature for best results! They bind all of the cake ingredients together.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds a touch of warmth to the chocolatey cake.
- All-Purpose Flour: The sturdy foundation of the cake that holds everything together for a perfect bite.
- Granulated Sugar: To sweeten up the cake.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: Dutch-process or natural cocoa both add depth and richness. Use whatever you have on hand!
- Baking Soda: Helps the layers of your tuxedo cake rise properly.
- Salt: Just a little bit to make sure everything tastes its best.
Whipped White Chocolate Ganache:
- White Chocolate: I used a baking bar for creamy goodness!
- Butter: Don’t skip it! It adds richness and helps the ganache set beautifully.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: The key to a light and fluffy texture.
Whipped Dark Chocolate Ganache:
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate: Intense and decadent, use semi-sweet or dark chocolate as a contrast to the sweet cake and creamy white chocolate filling.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Just like in the white ganache, it creates a smooth and fluffy texture. So delicious!
Tuxedo Cake Recipe
Grab those ingredients and get ready to make a cake that will be the talk of the neighborhood. Tuxedo cake is just that good! Moist, sweet, and rich, everything dessert should be.
- Preheat Oven, Prepare Pans: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with pan spray. Add parchment rounds to the bottom of the pans and spray the parchment with pan spray. Then set aside.
- Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, warm coffee, eggs, and vanilla until combined.
- Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry and wet ingredients and gently whisk together until fully combined.
- Bake: Fill the two pans evenly and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the center of the cake springs back lightly when pressed on or a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before inverting the pan on a cooling rack to finish cooling.
- Chill: Once completely cooled, wrap the cakes in two layers of plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
Whipped White Chocolate Ganache
- Butter and Cream Mixture: Place the white chocolate in a large bowl. Heat the cream and the butter together in the microwave for 45 seconds until the butter is melted and the mixture is steaming.
- Melt the Chocolate: Pour over the white chocolate and let sit for 1 minute before stirring until the chocolate is completely melted. Cover and set aside for about 30 minutes or until the ganache is set.
- Whip: Use a hand mixer to whip the white chocolate ganache until it is light and fluffy. Then, set aside.
Whipped Dark Chocolate Ganache
- Heat the Cream, Pour Over Chocolate: Place the semi-sweet chocolate in the bowl of a stand mixer. Heat the cream in the microwave until steaming, about 90 seconds. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 2 minutes. Use a whisk to stir the chocolate and the cream until the chocolate is fully melted and mixed with the cream.
- Cool: Let the ganache cool to room temperature or cool in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.
- Whip: Wait until you are ready to assemble your tuxedo cake to do this step! Use the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment to whip the cooled ganache on high speed for 3-4 minutes until it has lightened in color and turned very fluffy.
Cake Assembly
- Prepare Cake for Filling: Place one cake round on a cake stand or serving plate. Spread a very thin layer of dark chocolate ganache across the top of the cake. Use a piping bag to pipe a thick ring of dark chocolate ganache around the outer edge of the top of the cake to create a dam.
- Add White Chocolate Ganache Layer: Add the white chocolate ganache in the middle of the cake and carefully spread it evenly until it covers the entire top of the cake and meets the dam. Then, place the second cake layer on top.
- Frost the Outside of the Cake: Use an offset spatula to spread the remaining dark chocolate ganache around the entire outside of the cake, smoothing as you go. Top tuxedo cake with chocolate curls, fresh berries, or a dusting of powdered sugar.
How to Make the Best Tuxedo Cake
Use these extra tips to make a tuxedo cake so good, everyone will be talking about it!
- Wait to Whip: Wait to whip the ganaches until you are ready to assemble the cake! If you whip the ganache too far in advance, it will set up again and become hard. This will make it difficult to spread on your cake without it becoming clumpy or causing the cake to crumble.
- Melt Chocolate: If the chocolate is not fully melting after it has sat in the hot cream, you may microwave it for 10-15 seconds at a time until you can stir it together into a smooth ganache.
- Use a Hot Knife: Heat your knife before slicing the cake for clean slices! Run a large knife under very hot water, dry with a clean towel and make your slice. Repeat this between each cut for best results.
- Without Coffee: If you do not want to use coffee in the cake, you may substitute it for buttermilk.
- Swap Out Chocolate: You can use milk chocolate instead of semi-sweet for your tuxedo cake, but be warned that it will make this already sweet cake even more sweet! The semi-sweet chocolate helps balance out the overt sweetness of the white chocolate.
Storing Leftovers / Making Ahead
Store leftover tuxedo cake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Either cover the cut side with plastic wrap or place the whole cake in an airtight container.
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Whipped White Chocolate Ganache
Whipped Dark Chocolate Ganache
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with pan spray. Add parchment rounds to the bottom of the pans and spray the parchment with pan spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl whisk together the vegetable oil, warm coffee, eggs, and vanilla until combined.
In a medium bowl sift together the flour, sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently whisk together until fully combined.
Fill the two pans evenly and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the center of the cake springs back lightly when pressed on, or a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before inverting the pan on a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Once completely cooled, wrap the cakes in two layers of plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
Whipped White Chocolate Ganache
Place the white chocolate in a large bowl. Heat the cream and the butter together in the microwave for 45 seconds, until the butter is melted and the mixture is steaming.
Pour over the white chocolate and let sit for 1 minute before stirring until the chocolate is completely melted. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes or so, until the ganache is set.
Use a hand mixer to whip the white chocolate ganache until it is light and fluffy. Set aside.
Whipped Dark Chocolate Ganache
Place the semi-sweet chocolate in the bowl of a mixer. Heat the cream in the microwave until steaming, about 90 seconds. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 2 minutes. Use a whisk to stir the chocolate and the cream until the chocolate is fully melted and mixed with the cream.
Let the ganache cool to room temperature, or cool in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.
Wait until you are ready to assemble your cake to do this step! Use the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment to whip the cooled ganache on high speed for 3-4 minutes, until it has lightened in color and turned very fluffy.
Cake Assembly
Place one cake round on a cake stand or serving plate. Spread a very thin layer of dark chocolate ganache across the top of the cake. Use a piping bag to pipe a thick ring of dark chocolate ganache around the outer edge of the top of the cake, to create a dam.
Add the white chocolate ganache in the middle of the cake and carefully spread it evenly until it covers the entire top of the cake and meets the dam. Place the second cake layer on top.
Use an offset spatula to spread the remaining dark chocolate ganache around the entire outside the of the cake, smoothing as you go. Top with chocolate curls, fresh berries, or a dusting of powdered sugar.
Calories: 778kcalCarbohydrates: 74gProtein: 9gFat: 52gSaturated Fat: 25gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 87mgSodium: 425mgPotassium: 428mgFiber: 6gSugar: 49gVitamin A: 772IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 98mgIron: 4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.