One of the best desserts on restaurant menus all over Paris is a dark chocolate cake with crunchy bits and a smooth, rich ganache topping. Attempts to duplicate that cake over the years have been unsuccessful; adding crispy rice cereal or corn flakes to cake batter results in soggy little foreign bits with no crunch. The other day, however, it occurred to me that if the crunchies were added to a dry, shortbread base, they would most likely stay crunchy, since they would not be added to a liquefied batter. Voila! Triple Chocolate Crunch Cake is the delicious result. This cake has an intense chocolate shortbread crust with crispy rice; it is baked, then topped with a rich chocolately batter that makes for an intensely chocolate, not overly sweet, and moist cake with plenty of crunch. The finished cake is topped with a simple ganache, and served with a small scoop of lightly sweetened whipped cream. You can also serve it with a scoop of the highest quality ice cream – certainly nobody will complain.

Triple Chocolate Crunch Cake is the ultimate dessert for chocoholics everywhere, and it is suitable for serving at the fanciest of dinner parties or at an informal backyard barbecue. Guests and family members will swoon!

24 Servings

Crunch Layer:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup butter

2 cups crisp rice cereal

Cake:
2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate, chopped, or use high quality chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar
4 eggs

1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder, preferably Dutch cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Ganache:
1 cup semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream

Lightly sweetened whipped cream

1. Spray 9" x 13" shallow glass baking dish with non-stick spray.
2. Crunch layer: Measure the flour and cocoa into a fine strainer; shake the mixture into a large mixing bowl.
3. Add the sugar and butter; mix until the mixture is crumbly and the butter pieces are very fine.
4. Stir in the crisp rice cereal, press into the prepared baking dish, and bake 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, make the cake: Place 1/3 cup of the chocolate and the butter in a microwave-safe container and microwave one minute; let sit for a minute or two and stir until the chocolate is melted.
6. Pour the mixture into a mixer and add the sugar and eggs; beat well until light and fluffy.
7. Measure the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt into a fine strainer set over the chocolate/butter mixture; shake through.
8. Turn the mixer to low speed and mix until blended.
9. Spread evenly over the baked crunch layer.
10. Return the pan to the oven and bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a bit of chocolate.
11. Remove from the oven and let cool.
12. Spread the ganache mixture over the cooled cake and refrigerate until set. Serve in squares with lightly sweetened whipped cream.
13. Ganache: Place the chocolate and whipping cream in a microwave-safe container; microwave 3 minutes.
14. Let the mixture sit 5 minutes, then whisk until smooth.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 338 Calories from Fat 171
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 51% Protein 5% Carb. 44%

Nutrient Amount per
Total Fat 19 g
Saturated Fat 11 g
Cholesterol 73 mg
Sodium 257 mg
Total Carbohydrate 37 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Sugars 14 g
Protein 4 g

Vitamin A 13% Vitamin C 2% Calcium 0% Iron 6%