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Midnight Cake with Dark Chocolate Fig Ganache & Pomegranate Syrup

This Midnight Cake features a rich dark chocolate ganache center spiked with fig jam. The whole cake is coated in an airy chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream and drizzled with a punchy pomegranate syrup.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe
Prep Time 4 hours
Cook Time 35 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

Midnight Cake

  • 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup cocoa
  • 2 tbsp black cocoa
  • 1 cup strong coffee cooled
  • 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

Pomegranate Syrup

  • 2 cups pure pomegranate juice
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar

Dark Chocolate Fig Ganache

  • 454g (16oz) dark chocolate chips 70% or higher
  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • 1/4 cup fig jam

Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream

  • 3 egg whites
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter soft but cold, cut into cubes
  • 113g (4oz) dark chocolate chips melted and cooled slightly

Toppings

  • pomegranates arils
  • fresh figs
  • sage leaves
  • bay leaves
  • blackberries

Instructions
 

For the Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease 2 8-inch cake pans and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk to combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Sift in the cocoas and stir them into the flour mixture. Set aside.
  • Pour the coffee into another large bowl. Add the eggs, yogurt, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine.
  • Using a spoon, form a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the center of the well and stir to combine. Evenly divide the batter between the two cake pans and place them in the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted in the center of each cake and come out clean.
  • Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing them. Transfer the cakes to a cooling rack. Let cool completely. Wrap the cakes tightly and transfer to the fridge. Let chill for at least 1 hour.

For the Syrup

  • Pour the pomegranate juice into a large skillet and add the sugar. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and leave it to reduce for 20 minutes or until the liquid is reduced to a quarter.
  • Take the skillet off of the heat and set aside to cool completely before transferring to a jar.

For the Ganache

  • Place the chocolate chips in a large bowl and set aside.
  • Pour the cream into a small saucepan and place over low heat. Heat the cream to a low simmer then take it off the heat. Immediately pour the cream over the chocolate and let sit, undisturbed, for 15 minutes. Stir the chocolate into the cream until smooth and silky. Stir in the fig jam and set aside.
  • Let the ganache sit at room temperature for 2-3 hours to achieve a spreadable consistency.

Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream

  • Place the egg whites and sugar in a large heatproof bowl. Set aside.
  • Fill a small saucepan with water and bring it to a low simmer. Place the bowl over the pan to create a double boiler. Whisk the sugar and egg whites together until the sugar dissolves the mixture become opaque. Don't heat too aggressively or you will cook the egg.
  • Pour the egg white mixture into a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk the egg white on high until thoroughly cooled. Start adding the butter, 3-4 cubes at a time, only adding more when the butter disappears.
  • Once the frosting reaches a spreadable consistency. Take the mixing bowl out of the stand mixer and fold in the chocolate.

To Assemble

  • Using a serrated knife, trim the cakes of any domes that may have formed. Spread a small amount of ganache on a 6-inch cake board and place the first layer of cake on top.
  • Spread a thick layer of ganache on top of the first cake layer and place the second on top. Use a large spatula to smooth any wayward ganache on the surface of the cake. Transfer the cake to the fridge and chill for 30 minutes.
  • Cover the cake in a thin layer of the Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream. This is called the "crumb coat". Return the cake to the fridge and chill for another 30 minutes.
  • Cover the cake in another, thicker layer of Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream and chill for another 30 minutes before covering the top with the pomegranate syrup. Pipe the syrup around the edges of the cake first before covering the center. This is how to achieve the drip look.
  • Decorate the top and sides of the cake with the pomegranate arils, blackberries, figs, sage leaves, and bay leaves and serve immediately. If not serving right away, transfer the cake to the fridge and chill until ready to serve. The cake is best served the day it's made.**

Notes

**If you do have to make this cake well in advance, I would create all of the cake's components ahead of time, but save the assembly for the day of. If you're time is too tight the day of to frost an entire cake, I would stop short of adding the syrup and chill the frosted cake overnight.
Keyword buttercream, cake, chocolate, chocolate cake, ganache, layer cake, pomegranate