Chocolate Raspberry Cake – Sally’s Baking Dependancy

There’s loads happening at the moment, so let’s break down every part of this unapologetically indulgent cake:

1. Raspberry Filling: This sweet-tart jammy raspberry cake filling comes collectively shortly 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 reasonably necessary 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 substitute among the cream with raspberry liqueur (corresponding to Chambord) to make a chocolate raspberry ganache (or preserve it simply chocolate). Style testers cherished it each methods.

We’re utilizing frozen raspberries for this filling, which I really like as a result of it means this cake will be made 12 months spherical! You can even use recent berries. You want 12 ounces (about 340–375g). Listed below are the opposite components you must make it:

• Water & Cornstarch: Cornstarch is the magic thickener for this raspberry filling. You don’t want a lot, however it’s essential to dissolve it in a bit water earlier than utilizing. That is referred to as a “slurry”; see strawberry sauce for instance.
• Sugar: The raspberry filling must be a 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 supplies that trace of freshness. Don’t go away it out or the filling will style fairly flat.
• Vanilla Extract: Add a 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 primary baking components 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 happy to skip the espresso powder and substitute 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 you already know it’s going to be good! This creamy chocolate frosting is good, silky clean, 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 under, additionally discovered on my chocolate buttercream web page, makes simply the quantity we want for all the pieces.

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!).

Do you take pleasure in chocolate mousse as a substitute? Swap the buttercream for the chocolate mousse filling from my chocolate mousse cake.

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 provides this refined cake that *little one thing additional.*

Usually, 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 persist with 8 ounces chocolate + 8 ounces cream if desired.

Begin by leveling your desserts, 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 reduce about 3/4 inch (2cm) off the tip and use that and not using 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 right of entirety on high of this cake. A masterpiece for an important day like Valentine’s Day, this chocolate raspberry cake is the right marriage of chocolate and berry. See much more Valentine’s Day dessert recipes.

So many parts! So many layers! I hope you take pleasure in.