Description
This decadent Chocolate Raspberry Cake with Ganache is a rich, moist layered cake combining deep chocolate flavor with vibrant raspberry notes. The cake layers are perfectly tender and infused with cocoa, complemented by a luscious raspberry buttercream frosting and a glossy chocolate ganache drizzle. Finished with fresh raspberries, this cake is ideal for special occasions or whenever you desire an indulgent yet balanced dessert.
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 and Cake Batter
- 1 cup Buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 cup Oil (neutral flavor, e.g., vegetable or canola)
- 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 Ground 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 the paper again. In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar until evenly combined to form the dry ingredients.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: Heat the water in a small pan on the stove over high heat until steaming hot. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, vanilla extract, and buttermilk. Slowly pour the hot water into this mixture while stirring continuously to prevent cooking the eggs, creating a smooth wet mixture.
- Mix Batter and Bake: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined, being careful not to overmix to keep the cake tender. Divide the batter evenly among the three prepared cake pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
- Make Raspberry Puree: In a blender, blend raspberries and water until smooth. Pass the puree through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds and discard 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 the color deepens. Allow to cool completely before use.
- Prepare Raspberry Frosting: In a large bowl, sift the powdered sugar and stir in ground freeze dried raspberries. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter on high speed for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add half of the powdered sugar mixture and mix on low speed just until combined; repeat with the remaining powdered sugar mixture. Scrape down the sides, mix again. Add the reduced raspberry puree, vanilla extract, and salt; mix on low speed until incorporated, then beat on high speed for 2 minutes, scraping the sides halfway through for an even, smooth frosting.
- Make Chocolate Ganache: After frosting the cake, place the semi-sweet chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl. Heat the heavy cream in a small pan over medium-low heat until steaming but not boiling. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let sit undisturbed for 2 minutes. Gently stir the mixture until smooth and fully melted. If some chocolate remains unmelted, heat the ganache in short 15-second bursts in the microwave, stirring between, until smooth.
- Assemble the Cake: Using a serrated knife, level the cakes by trimming off the domed tops. Place the first cake layer on your serving plate and spread 1 cup of raspberry frosting evenly over the surface. Repeat this process with the second cake layer. Place the final layer upside down (bottom side up) on top to get a flat surface. Apply a thin crumb coat of frosting over the entire cake to seal in crumbs and freeze for 15 minutes to set the crumb coat.
- Final Frosting and Ganache Drip: Spread the remaining frosting in a light layer over the cake to create a semi-naked effect. Freeze the cake for 10 more minutes. Then, fill a piping bag with half of the chocolate ganache and pipe drips around the top edge, allowing them to flow naturally. Pour the rest of the ganache over the top surface evenly and freeze again for 10 minutes to set the ganache.
- Decorate and Serve: Decorate the top of the chilled cake with fresh raspberries. Before serving, allow the cake to come to room temperature to enhance flavor and texture, allowing the ganache to soften slightly for the perfect slice.
Notes
- Use room temperature eggs, butter, and buttermilk for best mixing and texture.
- Ensure you sift powdered sugar to avoid lumps in frosting.
- Do not overmix the batter to keep the cake tender and moist.
- Freezing the cake layers after crumb coating and final frosting helps achieve clean frosting application and neat ganache drips.
- Use fresh or frozen raspberries both work well for puree.
- To save time, raspberry puree can be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated.
- For a more intense raspberry flavor, adjust the amount of freeze dried raspberry powder in the frosting.
- This cake tastes best after resting a few hours or overnight to allow flavors to meld.
