This recipe is adapted from one made by the queen of petite fours herself:  Valerie Gordon! Chocolate and ginger are an underrated pair, but my mom and I have always loved the two together (and separately). The cake base is sweet and buttery. The ganache is rich and velvet-y. The whole thing is sandwiched together and enrobed in dark chocolate. The end product is a light but rich, sweet but spicy, and simply stunning bite-sized dessert. I made these for my mom for Mother's Day, but they'd be perfect for just about any occasion. 

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Step One: Ginger Cake

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

• pinch of salt

• pinch of white pepper

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped candied ginger

• 1 teaspoon light corn syrup

• 5 oz (10 tablespoons) softened butter (I prefer salted)

• 2/3 cup granulated sugar

• 2 eggs

• 2 tablespoons sour cream

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees Fahrenheit or 177 degrees Celsius. Line a baking sheet (the kind you would bake cookies on) with baking parchment. Spray the edges with cooking spray.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and corn syrup until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and mix.

3. Whisk together the eggs and sour cream in a small bowl until smooth and creamy. Add into the butter mixture and beat together until fully incorporated. 

4. Sift in the flour, baking powder, salt, and white pepper. Stir to combine. Add the candied ginger and stir.

5. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake in the oven for 4 minutes. Rotate, then bake another 4 minutes. Allow to completely cool before removing. Divide the cake into three equal cakes, using a ruler if necessary. Stack the layers, dividing each one with baking parchment. There should be parchment between each layer, plus on on the top and on on the bottom. Wrap the whole kitten caboodle in plastic wrap and chill in the freezer at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.

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Step Two: Chocolate Ginger Ganache

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 teaspoon powdered gelatin

• 1 1/2 tablespoons cold water

• 1 cup dark chocolate chips

• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream

• 1 1/2 tablespoon light corn syrup

• 4 1/2 tablespoons very soft butter (I prefer salted)

• 1 tablespoon ground ginger (Ginger packs a punch! Loose a teaspoon from this amount if you like a milder ganache.)

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Instructions

1. Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water. Set it aside for 10 minutes. This will allow the gelatin to soften and bloom. Meanwhile, put the chocolate chips in a medium or large bowl and set aside.

2. Add the heavy cream and corn syrup to a small saucepan. Set the heat to medium-high and let the mixture just barely come to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the gelatin until it dissolves. Pour over the chocolate, then let it rest for one minute. We want the chocolate to become melty and spreadable.  

3. Use a small rubber spatula to stir the the chocolate/cream/gelatin mixture until it forms a creamy, cohesive ganache. Add the butter while the ganache is still warm. Let the butter mix in completely before adding the ginger. Let the ganache cool in the fridge at last an hour and up to overnight.

4. Remove the cakes from the freezer and the ganache from the fridge. On a piece of parchment on a clean work-surface, lay down one layer of the cake. Spread on half the ganache using and offset spatula, then add another cake layer. Spread on the rest of the ganache. Place a layer of parchment on the top cake layer, then use rolling pin to gently press the layers together. Wrap up in plastic wrap, and place in the fridge at least three hours and up to overnight.