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Layered Fudge Cake With Chocolate Ganache Candied Cranberries and Walnut Butter Buttercream Filling (1)

Layered Fudge Cake With Sugared Cranberries and Walnut Butter Buttercream Filling

Amber Bondar
This layered fudge cake is ideal for Christmas with the pretty, sugared cranberries and walnut pieces sitting a top the rich chocolate fudge ganache. Two layers of dense, moist fudge cake with walnut butter buttercream cranberry filling. It's a sumptuous dessert everyone will love. Enjoy a large slice as an after dinner dessert or as a celebration cake!
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Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, Canadian
Servings 10

Equipment

  • 2 Saucepan
  • 2 Mixing Bowls
  • 2 Measuring Cups
  • Tablespoons
  • Teaspoons
  • Wire Rack
  • parchment paper
  • Cake Knife Or bread knife
  • 2 8" Round Cake Pans
  • Stirring/Mixing Tools
  • Food Processor or Blender For Walnut Butter

Ingredients
  

Christmas Chocolate Fudge Layered Cake With Sugared Cranberries & Walnut Butter Buttercream Filling

Making the Sugared Cranberries

  • 1 Cup Frozen or Fresh Cranberries
  • 1 Cup Granulated White Sugar +½ a cup more
  • 1 Cup Water

Making the Fudge Cake Batter

  • 1¾ Cup Flour
  • ½ Tsp Salt
  • 1½ Tsp Baking Powder
  • ½ Tsp Baking Soda
  • ¼ Cup Butter
  • 1 Cup sugar
  • 6 Tbsps Cocoa Powder
  • ½ Cup Boiling Water
  • 2 Lrg Eggs
  • ½ Cup Sour Cream

Making the Walnut Butter

  • 2 Cups Walnuts
  • 2-3 Tbsps Raw Honey

Making the Walnut Butter Buttercream With Cranberries

  • 1 Cup Walnut Butter
  • ½ Cup Salted Butter
  • 2 Cups Icing/Confectioners Sugar
  • 2 Tbsps Torani Vanilla Bean Vanilla Syrup
  • ½ Cup Chopped Whole Cranberries

Chocolate Fudge Ganache

  • 1 Cup Heavy Cream
  • 3.5 Cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Instructions
 

Making the Sugared Cranberries

  • Put saucepan on med/high heat with water and one cup of white sugar.
  • Allow the mixture to come to a boil to dissolve the sugar.
  • Remove from heat.
  • Add the cranberries and allow to sit for ten minutes.
  • Add parchment paper to a wire rack.
  • Remove cranberries from sugar syrup and place on parchment paper being careful to leave space around each one.
  • Leave wet cranberries to dry for one hour.
  • Measure the remaining sugar into a small bowl or on a plate.
  • Roll the sticky cranberries in the sugar to fully coat each one.
  • Store unused cranberries in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.

Making The Fudge Cake

  • In a large mixing bowl measure the flour, salt, baking powder and blend.
  • In another mixing bowl measure the butter and sugar and mix.
  • Add to the butter sugar mixture your cocoa powder.
  • Add the baking soda to the boiling water and pour over the cocoa butter mixture.
  • Stir well and then add the eggs. Mixing well after each addition.
  • Add the sour cream to the wet mixture and blend well.
  • Make a well in the center of your dry ingredients and add the wet to the dry.
  • Blend cake batter only as much as needed.
  • Divide batter into two 8" prepared cake pans.
  • Bake in preheated 350℉ oven for 30 minutes or until cakes test for doneness.
  • Remove from oven and let cool completely before assembly.

Making the Walnut Butter

  • Measure the walnuts into your food processor or blender. Mix on high until they make a paste.
  • Add in the honey and mix well.
  • Store in a jar covered in the fridge for up to four weeks.

Making the Walnut Butter Buttercream With Cranberries

  • Add one cup of walnut butter to a mixing bowl.
  • Blend in ½ cup of butter.
  • Slowly mix in the confectioners sugar blending well after each addition.
  • Add the Torani Vanilla Bean Syrup and mix well.
  • Chop the cranberries in half or quarters and mix into the walnut butter buttercream.

Assembling the Cake.

  • Carefully remove cakes from pans.
  • Cut off any dome that may have formed on base cake layer.
  • Add a generous amount of filling to the center of the bottom cake layer.
  • Spread it outwards with a cake knife leaving one inch of space around the outer edge.
  • Place the top cake layer on the bottom layer.

Making the Chocolate Ganache

  • Heat cream in a saucepan stirring constantly.
  • When cream is hot add in the chocolate chips and melt.
  • Stir the chocolate chips into the cream and keep stirring until smooth.
  • Pour the thick fudge chocolate ganache over the top center of the cake.
  • It's a very thick ganache so spread as needed with cake knife.
  • Pushing it gently over the sides and let it drip down.

Decorating

  • Use sugared cranberries and walnut pieces to decorate the top of the cake.
Keyword chocolate cake, Christmas cake, cranberries, fudge cake, walnut butter
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