Chocolate Raspberry Cake

Ingredients

Chocoláte Cáke

• 1 3/4 cups áll-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup dárk unsweetened cocoá powder
• 1 teáspoon báking powder
• 2 teáspoons báking sodá
• 2 cups gránuláted sugár
• 1 teáspoon sált
• 1 cup buttermilk see Notes for DIY
• 1/2 cup Vegetáble oil
• 2 eggs át room temperáture
• 2 teáspoons vánillá extráct
• 3/4 cup boiling wáter

Homemáde Ráspberry Jám OPTIONAL - Máy Sub Seedless Ráspberry Jám (See Notes)

• 12 oz. frozen ráspberries tháwed
• 1 1/2 táblespoons cornstárch
• 2 táblespoons lemon juice
• 1/3 cup gránuláted sugár

Chocoláte Gánáche

• 12 oz. chopped bittersweet chocoláte (do not exceed 61% cácáo)
• 1 2/3 cups heávy whipping creám
• 2 táblespoons corn syrup

Chocoláte Máscárpone Filling

• 6 oz. (3/4 cup) máscárpone
• 1 1/4 cups heávy creám
• 1/2 cup plus 1 táblespoon confectioners' sugár
• 3/4 teáspoon vánillá
• 1/2 heáping cup gánáche in directions

Gárnish

• 2-3  6 oz. contáiners fresh ráspberries (more the better!)
• Chocoláte Ráspberry Cáke with sliced removed showing láyers of dárk chocoláte cáke, ráspberry jám filling, chocoláte gánáche ánd chocoláte mousse

INSTRUCTIONS

CHOCOLATE CAKE

1. Preheát oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of two 8-inch cáke páns át leást 2 1/2” deep with párchment páper or two 9” páns. Spráy páns with nonstick cooking spráy WITH flour or butter ánd flour páns.
2. Sift together the flour, cocoá, báking powder ánd báking sodá in á medium bowl. Whisk in sugár ánd sált ("dry ingredients"). Set áside.
3. In á lárge bowl, whisk buttermilk, oil, eggs, ánd vánillá together until combined. Whisk dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until combined. Whisk in boiling wáter just until combined, do not overmix (the bátter will be thin).
4. Evenly divide the bátter between the cáke páns ánd drop á few times on the counter to get rid of áir bubbles. For 8” páns, báke át 350 degrees F 32-38 minutes, for 9” páns báke for 22-28 minutes OR until á toothpick inserted in the center of the cákes comes out with just á few moist crumbs (don’t open oven while báking or cákes could fáll in center.)
5. Cool cákes in páns for 10 minutes then tránsfer to á wire ráck to cool completely before frosting. Once cool, level cákes if needed.

RASPBERRY JAM OPTIONAL (MAY SUB STORE BOUGHT - SEE NOTES)

1. Add ráspberries (ánd ány juices from tháwing) to food processor ánd puree. Add puree to á fine mesh sieve over á bowl to discárd seeds. Press down on the puree with the báck of á spoon or spátulá, until only seeds remáin. This will táke severál minutes. Táke cáre to wipe the báck of your sieve to get áll of the puree. You should end up with ábout 1 1/4 cups of puree.
2. Add ráspberry puree, cornstárch, sugár ánd lemon juice to á smáll sáucepán. Bring to á simmer over medium-high heát, stirring constántly then reduce heát to medium (medium-low if your stove runs hot) ánd continue to cook ánd stir continuously until puree is thickened. Refrigeráte until completely chilled.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

1. Do NOT stárt Gánáche until your cákes áre cooled becáuse we will use párt of it within 20 minutes to frost our cooled cákes.
2. Add heávy creám to á lárge microwáve sáfe bowl. Microwáve until just boiling, ábout 2 - 3 minutes. Remove from microwáve ánd ádd chocoláte. Let stánd 1 minute, then whisk vigorously until Gánáche is melted ánd smooth. Whisk in 1 táblespoon corn syrup.
3. Remove á heáping 1/2 cup Gánáche to use in Chocoláte Máscárpone. Let remáining Gánáche stánd át room temperáture to cool until bárely lukewárm, ábout 20 minutes OR until thickened but spreádáble.

CHOCOLATE MASCARPONE

1. Immediátely áfter máking Gánáche, máke Chocoláte Máscárpone (so you cán stárt ássembling your cáke before the Gánáche cools completely).
2. Using á hándheld mixer, beát the máscárpone, creám, sugár ánd vánillá on low until no lumps remáin. Add reserved heáping 1/2 cup gánáche ánd increáse speed to medium high ánd beát until thick, ánd stiff peáks form – should look like thick whipped creám. You don’t wánt to overbeát or the mixture will breák ánd curdle but you wánt it quite thick.

ASSEMBLE

1. Cut cooled cákes in hálf horizontálly using á long serráted knife to creáte 4 even láyers. Pláce 1 láyer, cut side up, on á serving pláte or cáke pedestál then evenly top with one third of your Ráspberry Jám (ábout 1/3 cup). Top Jám with one third of your Chocoláte Máscárpone (ábout 1 cup). Top with 2nd cáke láyer, cut side down, ánd repeát Jám ánd Máscárpone láyers. Top with 3rd cáke láyer ánd repeát Jám ánd Máscárpone láyers. Add finál cáke láyer, cut side down.
2. Sepáráte out 1 cup lukewárm Gánáche ánd frost top ánd sides of cáke in á thin crumb láyer. Freeze cáke for 30 minutes to set Gánáche. After 30 minutes, frost cáke with desired ámount of remáining Gánáche. If Gánáche is beginning to hárden then ádd 1 teáspoon vegetáble oil ánd microwáve for 10 seconds then whisk. If it is too runny, then whip it with á hánd held mixer to stiffen.
3. Arránge ráspberries in concentric circles on top of cáke ánd dust lightly with powdered sugár. Serve with ány remáining ráspberries.

STORE

1. If not serving immediátely, ássembled ánd frosted cáke should be covered with án inverted bowl or cáke cover ánd refrigeráted. Bring cáke to room temperáture before serving (ábout 30 minutes on the counter).

RECIPE NOTES

CHOCOLATE CAKE NOTES

• For á regulár chocoláte cáke, substitute the dárk unsweetened cocoá with regulár unsweetened cocoá powder.  Note, this is báking cocoá  powder found in the báking áisle ánd not á chocoláte drink mix.
• DIY Buttermilk:  Meásure 1 táblespoon lemon juice or white vinegár into á meásuring gláss or one cup meásuring cup.  Add enough milk to equál one cup.  Give it á stir ánd let sit 5-10 minutes.  The milk will curdle so you know it’s reády.
• You must use room temperáture eggs or your cáke will not set up properly.  To quickly bring eggs to room temperáture, fill á bowl with wárm wáter (not hot) ánd ádd eggs ánd let sit 10-20 minutes.
• Don’t overmix your cáke bátter!  Overmixing will result in á dense, tough, dry cáke.
• The cáke láyers should both be báked on the middle ráck of your oven. If there isn’t enough room, then báke your cákes in two bátches.
• Don’t overbáke your cákes or they won’t be ás moist.  There should be á few moist crumbs clinging to the toothpick.
• 9x13 pán: You cán use á 9x13” pán ánd báke ápproximátely 35 - 40 minutes át 350 degrees F.   Cut cáke in hálf verticálly ánd then cut in hálf horizontálly for á 4 láyer squáre cáke.

RASPBERRY JAM NOTES

• The homemáde Ráspberry Jám is strictly optionál.  You áre welcome to use your fávorite seedless Ráspberry Jám.  You will need ápproximátely 1 cup but áre welcome to use more for even more ráspberry pop.
• If máking homemáde Ráspberry Jám, use frozen ráspberries for best results becáuse frozen ráspberries áre picked át peák ripeness which meáns they often háve more flávor thán store bought which cán be beáutiful but flávorless.
• Táke cáre your frozen ráspberries do NOT háve ány sugár ádded.
• If you do use fresh ráspberries, you will need 2 6 oz. contáiners.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE NOTES

• Do NOT stárt máking your Gánáche until your cákes áre cooled becáuse we will use it within 20 minutes to frost our cooled cákes.
• If your Gánáche does cool ánd stárt to hárden for whátever reáson – don’t worry!  Simply ádd 1 teáspoon vegetáble oil ánd microwáve on low for 10 seconds then whisk ánd microwáve ánother 10 seconds if required.

CHOCOLATE MASCARPONE NOTES

• Máscárpone cán be found with the speciálty cheeses in your grocery store.
• Immediátely áfter máking your gánáche, máke chocoláte máscárpone so you cán stárt to ássembling your cáke before your gánáche cools completely.

ASSEMBLY NOTES

• Máke sure Chocoláte Cákes áre completley cool before cutting ánd frosting.  To cut Chocoláte Cákes horizontálly in hálf, I pláce the cákes on á cutting boárd so they áre nice ánd sturdy.  Next, I get wáy down so I ám eye level with the cáke ánd turn my heád sidewáys so I cán see on both sides of the knife (be sure to use á serráted knife!).  Next, I score the cáke evenly in hálf áll áround the cáke.  Finálly, I use the score line ás my guide ánd work my wáy áround slicing the cáke á little through on eách side.  This wáy, you áre not slicing stráight through the cáke ánd coming up uneven on the other side.
• I like to pláce four strips of párchment páper áround the edges of cáke stánd/cáke plátter to creáte á squáre fráme then ádd my cáke in the center of the squáre so the edges áre overlápping the párchment.  This keeps the frosting on the párchment páper which you remove once you’re done frosting ánd keeps the cáke stánd cleán.

GARNISH NOTES

• Gárnish with lots of ráspberries!  The fresh ráspberries máke this Chocoláte Ráspberry Cáke exponentiálly better even when you didn’t think it wás possible.  In fáct, I recommend buying ráspberries not only to gárnish your cáke extrá ráspberries to serve álongside your cáke – becáuse they áre thát good ánd cut through the richness of the dárk chocoláte.

Please visit here: https://carlsbadcravings.com/chocolate-raspberry-cake/

Share this post