Tall, treacherous and craggy, this Mount Doom-inspired black chocolate cake, dripping with bright red white chocolate ganache lava, is the perfect ending to our Feast in Mordor!
Join us as we return to JRR Tolkien’s Middle Earth for another epic culinary adventure. This time, we must gather our courage as we venture to the depths of Mordor in search of our next feast.
Given their obvious preference for meat, it’s unlikely that the average orc would enjoy a sweet dessert. But we think this might just be because they haven’t had the opportunity to enjoy a sweet treat! Taking inspiration from the very heart of Mordor, Mount Doom, this rich, black chocolate cake is the perfect ending to our hearty orc feast. With bright red white chocolate ganache flowing down this tall and craggy chocolate volcano, I’m sure this is one sweet treat that no orc will be able to resist.
They saw Mount Doom, its feet founded in ashen ruin, its huge cone rising to a great height, where its reeking head was swathed in cloud. Its fires were now dimmed, and it stood in smouldering slumber, as threatening and dangerous as a sleeping beast. Behind it there hung a vast shadow, ominous as a thunder-cloud
- JRR Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Book 6, Chapter 2
Mount Doom is the final setting for Frodo’s journey to destroy the ring and end the evil reign of Lord Sauron. With a deep and terrifying crater, actively spewing hot lava, Mount Doom is the source of Sauron’s power and the place where many orcs are bred and trained. As loyal soldiers of the Dark Lord, the orcs guard the mountain and its surrounding areas ensuring that Sauron’s dominion over Middle Earth is unchallenged.
This chocolate cake made with black cocoa and a striking lava-red white chocolate ganache is the perfect final course of the orc feast to serve as an offering to Sauron and demonstrate their unwavering commitment to protecting Mount Doom.
Ingredients
Black cocoa: While you can certainly use any type of cocoa, I love the dark colour that black cocoa powder gives this cake. Black cocoa is heavily Dutch processed. This has the effect of rendering it a very dark colour, with very little fat, and alkaline in nature. Note that black cocoa powder won’t react with baking soda, so you need to add another form of acid to the cake. If you can’t source black cocoa, then any regular or Dutch process cocoa will work just fine.
Sour cream: As noted above, black cocoa lacks the necessary acidity to react with chemical leaveners such as baking soda. Sour cream adds acidity as well as moisture to this chocolate bundt.
White chocolate: In order to achieve the bright red colour of lava, I use a white chocolate ganache. You will need to use a greater ration of white chocolate to cream in order to create a thick, pourable ganache.
Red food colouring: I used Wilton no taste red gel food colouring to achieve this bright red colour.
How to make Mount Doom black chocolate cake
Make the cake batter
Preheat the oven to 350 deg F. Sift the black cocoa into a mixing bowl. Add the hot, strong coffee and whisk together. Add the sour cream and whisk together until the mixture is smooth. Let cool before adding to the batter.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the softened butter and sugar. Beat on low for a minute just to combine the butter and sugar. Scrape down the sides and turn the speed up to medium high. Beat for 2 to 3 minutes or until the butter is lightened in colour and fluffy.
Turn the mixer down to low and add the vanilla extract and vegetable oil along with one egg. Mix until the egg is fully incorporated, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the remaining eggs, one at a time, beating until fully combined. Once all the eggs have been added, turn up the speed to medium and beat for another minute until the mixture is thick, fluffy, and fully emulsified. Turn off the mixer.
Meanwhile, in a separate bowl combine 2 1/2 cups of flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk together until there are no lumps, then set aside. Toss the chocolate chips with the remaining tablespoon of flour.
Turn the mixer back on low. Add one third of the flour mixture and mix just until the flour is mostly incorporated. Add half of the cocoa mixture and continue beating until it is mostly incorporated. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides. Repeat by adding another third of the flour followed by the remainder of the cocoa mixture. Add the last of the flour and mix on low just until the batter is fully combined. Lastly, add the chocolate chips and mix just until combined.
Bake the black cocoa cake
Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl and make sure there are no streaks of unmixed butter in the batter. Spray a 12-cup bundt cake pan with non-stick spray. Scrape the batter into the bundt pan and smooth the top. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until done when a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Transfer the bundt pan to a rack. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes and then tip out of the bundt pan onto a serving platter. Let cool completely.
Make the white chocolate ganache
While the cake is baking, make the ganache. Chop the white chocolate into small pieces and add to a mixing bowl. Set aside. In a small saucepan over medium high heat combine the heavy cream, corn syrup, and red gel food colouring. Bring the cream mixture to a boil and then remove from the heat. Immediately pour the hot cream over the white chocolate. Let stand for at least 5 minutes.
Gently whisk the chocolate and warm cream together until smooth. Let the ganache cool completely. It will thicken as it cools. If you want it thicker, refrigerate the ganache until cold before drizzling over the cake.
Serve Mount Doom black chocolate cake
Before serving, glaze the cake with the white chocolate ganache. Slowly pour the cooled ganache over the bundt, allowing it drip decoratively down the side. The cake can be served immediately or refrigerated to set the ganache if desired. Enjoy!
