This cake came about from the tattered remains of a cornmeal cherry upside down cake. no joke. Attempt number one of what would later be tweaked and added on to to make this cake was not nearly as successful. The recipe I was using is not at all a bad one, but I'm working in a college apartment kitchen with the finest equipment and ingredients that a student budget can buy. . .so, bottom-line, improvisations were made, and sometimes improvisations work better than others. In any case, even though the cherry upside down cake (which I made with mixed berries instead) didn't work out (this time!), I really, really loved the sponge--I'm a fan of cornmeal. So, with the remainder of the mixed berries and enough ingredients to make two more batches of the cornmeal sponge, I decided to make a cake! I wasn't sure about the frosting until my roommate told me she had leftover Guirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips (because she is literally the best roommate.) and I immediately thought GANACHE.
I turned the berries into a syrup (with which I drenched the top of each sponge round) and I whipped the ganache--i say whipped. . .I wanted whipped. . .but creamed-up is more accurate for what I was able to manage with the 1950's (or 60's?) hand mixer I borrowed from my mom. If you're using a Kitchen Aid or any other stand mixer, you're ganache will probably be a lot fluffier and spreadable-- into a more frosting-friendly consistency et voila! this cake was born. It was a great (and incredibly yummy) turn of events considering how disappointed I was about my botched upside down cake.
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