Champagne Cake

Directions

1. 1
   ["Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350\u00b0F. Coat the bottoms and sides of three 9-by-3-inch round cake pans with nonstick baking spray or butter and line the bottoms with parchment paper.", "Divide the cake batter among the prepared cake pans, spreading it evenly. Bake for 15 minutes. Rotate the cakes and bake for an additional 10 to 12 minutes, until they appear firm and have a matte finish and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely in the pans on cooling racks.", "Run an offset spatula or a small knife around the sides of the cake pans. Invert the cakes onto cooling racks and peel off the parchment paper. Wrap the cakes in plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to assemble the cake.", "Transfer one cake layer, top side down, to a serving plate. Using an offset spatula, spread about 3/4 cup of ganache over the top. Place the second cake layer on top, top side down, and spread another layer of ganache over it. Place the last inverted cake layer on top. Using your hands, press down gently to even the layers.", "Using an offset spatula, smooth the \"seams\"" of the cake. You want the ganache to completely fill the spaces between the layers; concave areas will be very noticeable under the glaze. Refrigerate the cake