Paula Deen's Chocolate Ganache Cake

Total Time: 52 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 22 mins

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs, separated
• 3 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/3 cup buttermilk, plus
• 1 tablespoon buttermilk
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
• 1 cup vegetable shortening
• 8 cups icing sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 5 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate

Recipe

• 1 cake:.
• 2 preheat oven to 350°f.
• 3 grease and flour 3 (9 inch) cake pans.
• 4 in a large bowl,beat butter and shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
• 5 add sugar,beating until fluffy.
• 6 add egg yolks,one at a time,beating well after each addition.
• 7 in a medium bowl,combine flour and baking powder.
• 8 in a small bowl,combine milk,buttermilk,cream and vanilla.
• 9 add flour mixture to butter mixture,alternately with milk mixture,beginning amd ending with flour mixture,beating until just combined.
• 10 in a medium bowl,beat egg whites at medium speed with an electric mixer until stiff.
• 11 gently fold egg whites into batter.
• 12 spoon batter evenly into prepared pans.
• 13 bake for 22-24 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes clean.
• 14 let cool in pans for 10 minutes.
• 15 remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.
• 16 spread vanilla buttercream in between layers and on top and sides of cake.
• 17 place cake in freezer for 30 minutes.
• 18 pour warm ganacheover top of cake letting it run down sides.
• 19 garnish with chocolate covered strawberries if desired.
• 20 vanilla buttercream:.
• 21 in a large bowl,beat butter and shortening at medium speed with a electric mixer until creamy.
• 22 gradually beat in icing sugar until smooth.
• 23 beat in vanilla.
• 24 chocolate ganache:.
• 25 in a medium bowl combine cream and chocolate.
• 26 microwave on high in 30 second intervals,stirring between each,until chocolate is melted and smooth(about 2 minutes).
• 27 let cool for 10 minutes.