Cake: Chocolate and what?

[Fernwood]

I have promised to make a festive cake for a special occasion this Saturday. Since my time is very limited, I need to stick with basic recipes that I know I can handle, but I can't seem to make up my mind about the flavor combo. I will use chocolate chiffon cake layers, probably three or four layers in all, so have room for two or three layers of filling, plus frosting. I want to use ganache for some of it. I can also handle some kind of simple mousse-like filling. Frosting could be flavored whipped cream, whipped ganache or maybe buttercream, since the weather here has taken a merciful turn to the cooler side. I have been thinking about chocolate and orange, chocolate and coffee, chocolate and caramel, etc. I thought about chocolate and orange and coffee, but I'm not at all sure about that. I imagine chocolate and orange and caramel could work, yes?

Please make me some suggestions if you have inspirations for flavor/filling/frosting schemes.

Many thanks, Fern

[Badiane]

If the crowd can handle it - like if they are adventurous eaters and not a group of 80 year olds, I LOVE this Black Pearl Cake.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/231449

it really is fantastic...and not the least bit wierd tasting. It all just works.

[binkyboots]

mint!

yum... I love a minty ganache in a chocolate cake

[JeanneCake]

Last two weeks, there have been a lot of chocolate cakes going out the door with a milk chocolate toffee buttercream filling... people love the unexpected crunch of toffee in the otherwise smooth buttercream....

A caramel ganache would be heavenly

[jgarner53]

Last two weeks, there have been a lot of chocolate cakes going out the door with a milk chocolate toffee buttercream filling... people love the unexpected crunch of toffee in the otherwise smooth buttercream....

I remember my mom frosting an angel food cake with a chocolate whipped cream with chunks of Heath bar folded in at some point when I was little. I loved that cake and the crunchy bits!

[SushiCat]

Chocolate / Orange / Coffee is a good combo!

Also Choc. raspberry is very good. You could do a raspberry mousse-type filling and then a choc. ganache. If doing this, I would recommend a splash of framboise on the layers as you build it up.

Yum, now I'm thinking I should make a cake!

[SuzySushi]

Raspberry!!!

[Fernwood]

Now I wish I could do all of the above!

I'm too tired right now to detail the reasons why every one of your suggestions is particularly luscious and appropriate, but every one of them is. Thank you!

What I finally decided to do this week:

Chocolate chiffon cake, 3 layers

Caramel-orange mousse (caramel mousse recipe at Epicurious that Patrick S had linked to previously, but I infused some of the cream with orange zest)

Bittersweet orange ganache (again, just infused cream with zest)

Caramel buttercream frosting

I have made the fillings and assembled the cake, except for frosting, which I will do tomorrow. I'm feeling pretty optimistic about this, especially since I got the cake assembled (upside-down in a pan) without disaster. Of course, I still have the opportunity to blow the whole thing when I turn it out of the pan.... It's quarter-sheet size, and I'm only accustomed to handling 9" rounds for assembling layered extravaganzas. But, as the pros have advised many times, chilling helps a lot. Anyway, I think the flavors will work. And then, I hope the weather stays cool so I can try the Black Pearl cake and then do one with mint ganache and then....

Fern

[chiantiglace]

raspberry mousse and banana bavaroise