DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; store at room temperature.
This Asian-influenced creation is named after a popular chocolate truffle by Vosges Haut-Chocolat. The unexpected combination of wasabi and black sesame seeds that infuses the truffle also flavors this inspired cake. You’ll find wasabi powder and black sesame seeds in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets, at specialty foods stores, and at Asian and Indian markets. 10 to 12 servings
Black Pearl Ganache
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped
¾ cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon wasabi powder
2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
1 tablespoon corn syrup
2 tablespoons (¼ stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
Ginger Syrup
1 cup water
½ cup sugar
⅓ cup matchstick-size strips peeled fresh ginger
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
Cake
2 cups boiling water
1 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
2¾ cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2¼ cups sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Whipped Cream Frosting
2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream
6 tablespoons powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground ginger
Additional black sesame seeds
BLACK PEARL GANACHE: Place chocolate in medium bowl. Bring cream, ginger, and wasabi to boil in small saucepan. Pour hot cream mixture over chocolate; cover with plastic wrap and let stand 5 minutes. Whisk cream and chocolate until smooth. Mix sesame seeds and corn syrup in small bowl to coat; stir into chocolate mixture. Let cool to lukewarm. Whisk in butter. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight to set.
GINGER SYRUP: Place 1 cup water, sugar, and ginger in small saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring to simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Simmer 2 minutes; remove from heat. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour for flavors to blend. Strain syrup into small bowl. Chop ginger; place in another small bowl.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover ginger and syrup and chill.
CAKE: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour three 8-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Line pan bottoms with parchment paper.
Whisk 2 cups boiling water, cocoa, and reserved chopped ginger in medium heatproof bowl to blend. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in another large bowl until fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then vanilla. Beat in flour mixture in 4 additions alternately with cocoa mixture in 3 additions. Divide batter among prepared pans; smooth tops.
Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool in pans 5 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks; cool completely.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and store at room temperature.
WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING: Using electric mixer, beat cream in large bowl until soft peaks form. Add sugar, vanilla, and ginger. Beat until stiff peaks form.
Using long serrated knife, trim rounded tops off cakes to create flat surface. Place 1 cake layer, cut side up, on plate. Brush top with ⅓ cup ginger syrup. Spread half of ganache over. Top with second layer, cut side up. Brush with ⅓ cup syrup; spread remaining ganache over. Top with third cake layer. Brush with remaining syrup. Spread whipped cream frosting over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle black sesame seeds over. Refrigerate until ganache is set, about 4 hours. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.
The truffle-like filling for this decadent cake needs to chill overnight to thicken, so make it one day before you assemble the cake. Old-fashioned natural peanut butter is key to this recipe, so don’t use anything else. Since the old-fashioned variety tends to separate, be sure to stir it until well blended before using. 12 servings
Filling
2¼ cups heavy whipping cream
½ cup (packed) golden brown sugar
12 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped
½ cup old-fashioned (natural) chunky peanut butter
Cake
2½ cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup old-fashioned (natural) chunky peanut butter
1 pound golden brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
Frosting
12 ounces Philadelphia-brand cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar, divided
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup chilled heavy whipping cream
Butterfinger candy bars, coarsely choppedGlazed peanuts
FILLING: Bring cream and sugar to simmer in medium saucepan, whisking to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; let stand 1 minute. Whisk until melted and smooth. Whisk in peanut butter. Chill uncovered overnight.
CAKE: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1½-inch-high sides. Line pan bottoms with parchment paper. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and peanut butter in large bowl until blended. Beat in sugar. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then vanilla. At low speed, beat in flour mixture in 4 additions alternately with buttermilk in 3 additions. Divide batter among prepared pans; smooth tops.
Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 5 minutes. Cut around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto racks; peel off parchment. Cool cakes completely.
FROSTING: Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese, 1¼ cups sugar, butter, and vanilla in large bowl to blend. Whisk cream and remaining ¾ cup sugar in medium bowl until medium-firm peaks form. Fold cream mixture into cream cheese mixture in 3 additions; chill frosting until firm but spreadable, about 1 hour.