I am a lucky girl. For my birthday this year, my boyfriend not only baked me a(n epic) cake, but he baked me a cake of my own design: two layers of dense, moist chocolate raspberry upside-down cake with a layer of chocolate raspberry ganache sandwiched in between and topped off with chocolate frosting!!! Welcome to Chocolate Fest 2013. I hope you brought your cake pants.
Chocolate Raspberry Cake
2016-01-23 14:25:39
Serves 12
Print
Prep Time
55 min
Cook Time
35 min
Total Time
2 hr 45 min
Cake
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 2/3 cup + 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2/3 cup + 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/3 cups buttermilk (or 4 teaspoons vinegar plus milk to equal 1 1/3 cups)
- 2 cups fresh raspberries
Ganache
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup raspberry jam
- 1 tablespoon brandy
Frosting
- 6 tablespoons butter, softened
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 2/3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch cake pans with 1 tablespoon butter each. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons brown sugar and add 1 cup raspberries to each.
- Mix together cocoa powder and boiling water until smooth, then set aside. Cream remaining 2/3 cup butter, white sugar, remaining 2/3 cup brown sugar, and vanilla extract in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each egg.
- Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk to creamed mixture. Pour in cocoa mixture and stir until combined. Pour into pans on top of raspberries.
- Bake 30-35 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes, then use a plate to flip cake rounds out of pans. Cool completely before frosting. For frosting, you will want to flip the cake rounds so that the flat sides (the sides with raspberries showing) face each other.
- For ganache: put 1-2 inches of water in a small saucepan on low heat. Whisk together 1 cup chocolate chips and 1/4 cup butter in a glass bowl set over saucepan until smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in raspberry jam and brandy. Cool 15 minutes, then pour on top of bottom cake round and smooth with a spatula.
- For frosting: cream butter in small mixer bowl. Add cocoa and powdered sugar alternately with milk; beat until smooth. Add in vanilla extract. Frost top and sides of cake.
Notes
- You will probably have a bit extra ganache and frosting (but better to have more than enough than to run short, right?). Put some extra ganache in a ziploc bag, cut a hole in the corner, and squeeze a bit on top of the frosted cake for some extra decoration.
- Alternately, this cake would also be fantastic as 2 separate single-layer cakes with ganache poured over the top. Just freeze the second cake round (pre-ganache) until your next chocolate craving strikes!
Put on Your Cake Pants http://putonyourcakepants.com/
I mentioned in an earlier post that we had a light dinner one night in anticipation of a decadent dessert. Well, this is that dessert. Might I suggest some broccoli couscous with halloumi?
Amazing cake! I like how the raspberries are embedded in the cake itself. Great photos showing all the steps!
So is this cake an original recipe? I am impressed with your boyfriend’s skills (at following your directions) 😉