Chocolate Raspberry Cake – Sally’s Baking Habit

There’s rather a lot occurring at present, so let’s break down every part of this unapologetically indulgent cake:

1. Raspberry Filling: This sweet-tart jammy raspberry cake filling comes collectively rapidly and simply on the range. It wants to chill fully earlier than spreading onto the cake layers, so my directions direct you to make this primary.
2. Darkish Chocolate Cake: We’re utilizing the identical deeply chocolate-y cake batter as this darkish chocolate peanut butter cake. You’ll love the extra texture from mini chocolate chips within the batter—have you ever tried it earlier than?
3. Chocolate Frosting: Slather on a layer of chocolate buttercream frosting between every cake layer, and use it to use a crumb coat to the outside of the cake. You’ll additionally want a piping bag + large round tip to pipe a border across the fringe of the layers. The chocolate buttercream is right here not just for style, however serves a fairly essential operate: a buttercream “dam” helps maintain the raspberry filling in place.
4. Chocolate Raspberry Ganache: High the entire cake with darkish chocolate ganache. If desired, you’ll be able to change among the cream with raspberry liqueur (reminiscent of Chambord) to make a chocolate raspberry ganache (or hold it simply chocolate). Style testers beloved it each methods.

We’re utilizing frozen raspberries for this filling, which I like as a result of it means this cake might be made 12 months spherical! You can too use recent berries. You want 12 ounces (about 340-375g). Listed here are the opposite substances it’s essential make it:

• Water & Cornstarch: Cornstarch is the magic thickener for this raspberry filling. You don’t want a lot, however you should dissolve it in a little bit water earlier than utilizing. That is known as a “slurry”; see strawberry sauce for example.
• Sugar: The raspberry filling needs to be a little bit tart, since you’ll pair it with candy chocolate buttercream frosting.
• Lemon Juice: The filling wants *one thing* to stability the berry and sugar, and lemon juice gives that trace of freshness. Don’t depart it out or the filling will style fairly flat.
• Vanilla Extract: Add a little bit splash of vanilla extract to the filling as soon as it comes off the warmth. It tastes and smells unbelievable!

You want a handful of fundamental baking substances for the cake batter. The acidity in each bitter cream and buttermilk is a should to offer correct leavening. (If desired, see baking powder vs baking soda for extra data.) A contact of espresso powder and scorching espresso additional enhances the chocolate taste. The cake will not style like espresso—moderately, these add depth to the cake’s darkish chocolate taste. Be at liberty to skip the espresso powder and change scorching espresso with scorching water or use decaf.

• Why scorching liquid? The recent liquid encourages the cocoa powder to bloom and dissolve.

We’re utilizing my favourite chocolate buttercream on this cake, so it’s going to be good! This creamy chocolate frosting is good, silky easy, and straightforward to work with.

You want sufficient frosting to unfold on the underside 2 cake layers earlier than topping with the raspberry filling, and to pipe a “dam” across the edges of these layers to maintain the raspberry filling in place, in addition to for a skinny crumb coat on the outside of the cake. The recipe beneath, additionally discovered on my chocolate buttercream web page, makes simply the quantity we want for every thing.

Is your chocolate buttercream lighter in coloration than you need? See my tried-and-true trick for darkening it above the chocolate buttercream recipe (warmth a few of it!).

You’ll be able to completely make a traditional 2-ingredient chocolate ganache, or you’ll be able to swap out among the heavy cream for raspberry liqueur, which supplies this subtle cake that *little one thing further.*

Sometimes, for making chocolate ganache, you want 8 ounces (weight) chocolate and eight ounces (quantity) heavy cream. (Improve/lower every for extra/much less.) For topping this chocolate raspberry cake, I used 2 baking bars (that’s 8 ounces/226g) of bittersweet chocolate (Ghirardelli model 60% cacao), 3/4 cup (180ml) heavy cream, and 1/4 cup (60ml) Chambord raspberry liqueur.

So, I changed among the heavy cream with the raspberry liqueur. Once more, you don’t have to do that. You’ll be able to keep on with 8 ounces chocolate and eight ounces cream if desired.

Begin by leveling your muffins, if wanted, to create a flat floor for stacking and adorning.

Spoon about 1/2 cup of the chocolate buttercream right into a piping bag fitted with a big spherical piping tip. I exploit Wilton 2A. (Or simply use a disposable piping bag and minimize about 3/4-inch off the tip and use that with out a piping tip.) Place the underside cooled cake layer in your cake stand or serving plate. Utilizing a large icing spatula or small offset spatula, evenly cowl the highest with about 1/4 cup of chocolate buttercream frosting (a skinny layer).

A cluster of recent raspberries is the proper crowning glory on prime of this cake. A masterpiece for an important day, this chocolate raspberry cake is the proper marriage of chocolate and berry.

So many parts! So many layers! I hope you get pleasure from.