Chocolate Cake with Snowy Pine Trees

Ingredients

• Cake

  • 2 cups (300 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 ½ cups (315 g) sugar
  • 1 cup (250 ml) buttermilk
  • ½ cup (125 ml) canola oil
  • 2 tsp (10 ml) vanilla
  • ¾ cup (75 g) cocoa powder
  • ¾ cup (180 ml) warm water

• Ganache

  • 18 oz (510 g) dark chocolate, chopped
  • 1 ½ cups (375 ml) 35% cream
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) clear corn syrup
  • ½ cup (115 g) cold unsalted butter, diced

• Royal Icing

  • 1 ½ cups (195 g) icing sugar
  • 1 egg white