Top Chef Inspiration.........Chocolate Cake

It's a very windy and rainy Saturday night and my roommate and I are watching Top Chef Finale 2007 Part 3. We are eating my relatively healthy oven fried chicken with tossed salad greens and one of the finalists mentions that he's going to make a chocolate cake and present it at the beginning of his presentation.  Bingo........I'm hooked.  I need something rich and decadent to wash down all of this lean chicken and roughage, so ignoring the rest of the show (not really) I grabbed my favorite chocolate cake recipe, and set to work.  This recipe is a classic Epicurious Recipe and stands proudly on its' own, however me being me, I had to tinker with it just a tad.  Let me know what you think.............

Double Chocolate Layer Cake

 with Grand Marnier Chocolate Ganache Frosting

For cake layers
3 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate such as Callebaut
1 1/4 cups hot espresso coffee

1/4 cup Kahlua
3 cups sugar
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)

1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
¾ teaspoon baking powder
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
3 large eggs
¾ cup olive oil
1 ½ cups well-shaken buttermilk
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon dark rum
For ganache frosting


1 pound fine-quality semisweet chocolate such as Callebaut


1 cup heavy cream


2 tablespoons sugar


2 tablespoons light corn syrup


½ stick (¼ cup) unsalted butter

2 teaspoons Grand Marnier
Special equipment
two 10- by 2-inch round cake pans

Preparation:

Make cake layers:
Preheat oven to 300°F. and grease pans. Line bottoms with rounds of wax paper and grease paper.
Finely chop chocolate and place in heat proof bowl. Place hot coffee in pyrex measuring cup with Kahlua and heat till hot. Add coffee mixture to chocolate. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
Into a large bowl sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, chili powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl with an electric mixer beat eggs until thickened slightly and lemon colored (about 3 minutes with a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a hand-held mixer). Slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs, beating until combined well. Add sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined well. Divide batter between pans and bake in middle of oven until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Cool layers completely in pans on racks. Run a thin knife around edges of pans and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove wax paper and cool layers completely. Cake layers may be made 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature.

Make frosting:
Finely chop chocolate. In a 1 1/2- to 2-quart saucepan bring cream, sugar, and corn syrup to a boil over moderately low heat, whisking until sugar is dissolved. Remove pan from heat and add chocolate, whisking until chocolate is melted. Cut butter into pieces and add to frosting, whisking until smooth. Add Grand Marnier and whisk to incorporate.
Transfer frosting to a bowl and cool, stirring occasionally, until spreadable (depending on chocolate used, it may be necessary to chill frosting to spreadable consistency).
Spread frosting between cake layers and over top and sides. Cake keeps, covered and chilled, 3 days. Bring cake to room temperature before serving.