Oh my ganache, look at those stars!

This small cake packs a big punch of chocolate! Everything was super rich - chocolate cake with chocolate ganache with chocolate decor. It was made for a 60th birthday celebrant with a strong sweet tooth.

Ganache is nothing but bittersweet chocolate and heavy cream. DO USE A DOUBLE BOILER to melt the chocolate slowly while stirring to prevent burning. If you do not have a double boiler, you can use a heat-resistant glass bowl over a boiling water. To add a bit of flavor you can add rum or vanilla to the recipe. Once ready, pour the mixture portions at a time and spread with spatula. DO USE A COOLING RACK with a baking sheet underneath to catch spillage. While still 'wet' we pressed the chocolate sprinkles on the edge and used those that fell onto the baking sheet.

The stars were by far my favorite part! Using the same technique as the Yogi Bear cake, we piped chocolate (candy chocolate chips, not ganache) onto wax paper into stars and swirls. Then once dried, we brushed on luster dust to make them shimmer.

This turned out to be a simple, elegant cake appropriate for the occassion!