CHOCOLATE GANACHE SOURDOUGH CAKE

Preheat the oven to 350F. Generously butter a 9” round springform pan with butter & line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, melt the butter & chocolate together in the microwave at 30-sec intervals, stirring in between each increment.

Once melted & smooth, sift in the cocoa power, salt, and espresso powder. Stir and set aside.

Separate the eggs, putting the whites into a medium bowl, and the yolks into another large bowl.

Add 3/4 cup of granulated sugar to the egg yolks; whisk to combine until pale, light & thick. Add the sourdough discard and vanilla; whisk to combine. Set aside.

In the bowl with the egg whites, beat the whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 3/4 cup sugar, and beat until the egg whites are stiff and glossy.

Now you should have three bowls that need to be mixed together. Pour the chocolate mixture into the bowl with the egg yolk mixture. Stir gently until combined. 

Add two large spoonfuls of the whipped egg white mixture & stir quickly until well incorporated. Then, GENTLY fold in the remaining egg whites.

Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake at 350F for 40-50 mins, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with moist crumbs or clean. 

Cool in the pan for 15 mins, then remove the sides of the pan to continue cooling.

Make the ganache. Heat the heavy cream on high in the microwave for 1 min. Add the chocolate chips and let sit for 5 mins. Then, whisk well until smooth.

Pour the chocolate ganache over the cake and spread. 

Slice and sserve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Enjoy!