Description
A decadent Chocolate Raspberry Cake layered with rich raspberry frosting and finished with a smooth chocolate ganache drip. This recipe combines moist chocolate layers, fresh raspberry puree, and a luscious buttercream infused with freeze-dried raspberries, making it perfect for special occasions or celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking soda
- 2 1/2 tsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 3/4 cup White granulated sugar
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup Buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 cup Oil
- 4 Large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup Hot water, steaming
Raspberry Puree
- 1 cup Raspberries, fresh or frozen
- 1/4 cup Water
Raspberry Frosting
- 2 cups Unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups Powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/4 cup Grounded freeze dried raspberries (about 1 oz.)
- 1/4 cup Reduced raspberry puree
- 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp Salt
Chocolate Ganache
- 1 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup Heavy cream
Decoration
- Fresh raspberries for decoration
Instructions
- Prepare Chocolate Cake Batter: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray three 8-inch cake pans with baking nonstick spray, line the bottoms with parchment paper circles, and spray again to ensure easy cake removal. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar until evenly combined.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: Heat the water in a small pan on the stove over high heat until it is steaming hot. In a separate bowl, mix together eggs, oil, vanilla extract, and buttermilk. Slowly add the hot water to this mixture while stirring continuously to prevent cooking the eggs.
- Mix Batter and Bake: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined, being careful not to overmix. Divide the batter evenly between the three prepared cake pans. Bake for 25-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow cakes to sit in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make Raspberry Puree: In a blender, puree raspberries and water until smooth. Strain puree through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds, discarding the seeds. Transfer the seedless puree to a small frying pan and cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened and color deepens. Cool completely.
- Prepare Raspberry Frosting: In a large bowl, sift powdered sugar and stir in grounded freeze dried raspberries. Using an electric mixer, beat butter on high speed for 3 minutes until fluffy. Add half of the powdered sugar mixture and mix on low until combined; repeat with the remaining sugar. Scrape sides and mix again. Add reduced raspberry puree, vanilla extract, and salt; mix on low until incorporated, then beat on high speed for 2 minutes, scraping sides halfway through.
- Make Chocolate Ganache: After frosting the cake, place chocolate chips in a small bowl. Heat heavy cream in a small pan over medium-low heat until steaming but not boiling. Pour hot cream over chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes. Stir gently until smooth and melted. If needed, microwave in short 15-second bursts to fully melt chocolate.
- Assemble Cake: Using a serrated knife, level the cakes by cutting off domed tops. Place the first cake layer on your serving plate and spread 1 cup of frosting evenly over the layer. Repeat with the second layer. Place the last layer upside down (bottom side up) on top. Apply a thin crumb coat of frosting over entire cake and freeze for 15 minutes to set.
- Final Frosting and Ganache Drip: Apply the remaining frosting in a light layer to create a semi-naked look. Freeze the cake for another 10 minutes. Fill a piping bag with half of the chocolate ganache and pipe drips around the top edge of the cake, allowing ganache to drip naturally. Pour the remaining ganache on top of the cake and freeze again for 10 minutes.
- Decorate: Finish by decorating the cake with fresh raspberries on top. Allow the cake to come to room temperature before serving for best flavor and texture.
Notes
- Make sure all wet ingredients are at room temperature for best batter texture.
- Do not overmix the batter to keep the cake light and fluffy.
- Straining the raspberry puree removes seeds for a smooth frosting texture.
- Freeze the cake between frosting layers to help the frosting set and make it easier to apply ganache.
- Let the cake come to room temperature before serving to enhance flavor and texture.
